PHOTOS: Nigeria Customs, IMPR Bag Back-to-Back Golden World Award at IPRA 70th Anniversary

For the second consecutive year, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in partnership with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, has won the prestigious Golden World Award (GWA) from the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), further reinforcing Nigeria’s growing influence in global strategic communication.

The award was presented at IPRA’s glittering 70th anniversary gala, held in Accra, Ghana. This historic event also saw the inauguration of Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah as IPRA’s President-elect, marking the first time an African woman has assumed the role. She will be taking over from Natasa Pavlovic Bujas from Belgrade.

This latest accolade follows the duo’s 2024 GWA win in Belgrade, Serbia, where their campaign, 100 Days of Impactful PR at Customs Service, triumphed in the Crisis Management category. The back-to-back recognition positions Nigeria Customs as a global benchmark for reform-driven government communication.

IMPR, led by CEO Yushau Shuaib, has now secured IPRA awards for nine consecutive years since 2016, collaborating with various Nigerian institutions to elevate the country’s international PR standing. Recognised as the most awarded communication firm in West Africa, IMPR was named the Most Creative PR Agency Worldwide in 2020 by the Global Creativity Index (GCI), published by PRovoke Media, organisers of the SABRE Awards.

This year’s GWA featured entries from at least 35 countries, with winners including Pan American Energy (Argentina), UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Dr. Alice Edwards (Canada), Navos (Germany), Stratcomm Africa (Ghana), Coca-Cola Hellas (Greece), McDonald’s (Hungary), Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance, BPRESS (Italy), Dentsu (Japan), Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL), Olam Agri (Singapore), Burson Africa and Warner Bros (South Africa), Kia Corporation (South Korea), The Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Dubai Police (UAE), Aramco (UK), and Adobe (USA).

The NCS–IMPR collaboration was honoured in the Publication category for their 162-page handbook titled Impactful Public Relations in Customs Management. Co-authored by PRNigeria journalists Kabir Abdulsalam and Maryam Na’Allah, the book highlights innovative PR strategies implemented under the leadership of Comptroller-General Wale Adeniyi.

Structured into 12 chapters, the handbook serves as a comprehensive guide to effective public relations, featuring practical case studies and engagement tools. It illustrates how strategic communication can enhance an institution’s reputation through transparency, boost revenue through stakeholder engagement, and reinforce national security through effective crisis communication.

Endorsed by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), the publication also received commendation from Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima.

Receiving the award on behalf of NCS, spokesperson Abdullahi Maiwada remarked, “This honour reaffirms the power of communication in building institutional credibility. Under CG Adeniyi, our service has embraced transparency, innovation, and accountability.”

Dr. Sule Yau Sule, Chairman of IMPR’s Board of Directors, described the award as a testament to the strength of public-private collaboration in strategic communication: “This recognition proves that Nigerian agencies can compete globally, using PR not just for publicity, but as a tool for reform and public trust.”

The 2025 edition of the Golden World Awards is particularly historic — marking the first time in IPRA’s 70-year history that the gala was hosted on African soil. It also coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR) in Ghana.

Established in 1990, the Golden World Awards are widely regarded as the “Oscars of Public Relations,” celebrating campaigns that exemplify excellence, ethics, and impact.

With this latest win, Nigeria Customs joins an elite circle of global institutions leveraging strategic communication to drive reform, further cementing Nigeria’s leadership in innovative public relations across the continent.