By BON PETERS, Port Harcourt

The Ibeto Seaport and Terminals Area 5 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Friday, January 16, 2026, held its ongoing Reputation Management Cascade Training aimed at Strengthening ethical standards, professional conduct, and the institutional image of the service.

This was contained in a press release issued, signed and made available by the Command’s Public Relations officer, Emmanuel Tangwa, a Chief Superintendent of Customs.

The statement informed that it was part of the service-wide driven programme to entrench integrity, accountability, and public confidence in customs operations.

While declaring the training open, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Usman Yahaya, charged officers to be attentive and actively engage in all the modules.

He described reputation as “a currency more valuable than money,” noting that “reputation like shadow follows an individual everywhere he goes.”

According to him, officers must consciously build their reputation with integrity and protect it with courage, as personal conduct ultimately reflects on the entire service.

Five facilitators were on ground to guide officers and management through carefully designed modules.

The lead resource person, Deputy Comptroller of customs in charge of Revenue, Dc Jacob Onele, who delivered a comprehensive session on the introduction to Reputation Management and its practical application within the NCS, emphasised the objectives of the Reputation Management handbook, stressing that it is compulsory reading for all officers.

Continuing, Dc Onele further explained why reputation management was of essence to the NCS even as he highlighted factors that usually shape public perception such as officers’ conduct, communication style, operational transparency, complaint handling, clarity in engagements, and overall tone of interaction with the public.

He outlined the roles and responsibilities of leadership, senior management, public relations officers and officers at the command, zonal and field levels. He therefore concluded by adding that the strength of NCS was anchored not only in enforcement but in the public trust built through every clearance and engagement.

Speaking on the broader theme of “crisis and reputational risk management,” Assistant Comptroller OE Ita, the Ag. Deputy Comptroller administration of the Command addressed the issue of public backlash arising from misconduct.

He cited instances where officers’ actions negatively affected the image of the Service and explained practical steps for managing such situations to prevent reputational damage and restore public confidence.

The next facilitator, Assistant Comptroller MS Abdullahi, chief examiner of the Command, spoke on media controversies and misinformation on the service’s credibility and operations.

Officers were advised to avoid public argument or defensive statements and to carefully conduct a SWOT analysis before responding to sensitive issues, ensuring that actions taken align with institutional values and communication protocols.

To Deputy Comptroller HA Barka, team manager of the Customs intelligence unit who focused on operational lapses , corruption allegations, and the role of Customs Reputation ambassadors, distinguished between unintentional operational lapses and intentional acts of corruption, urging officers to adhere strictly to approved communication channels and apply lessons learned to future engagements in order to safeguard the Service’s image.

The final resource person, Deputy Comptroller BA Lawson Wadike delivered an engaging session on the Golden 7Cs for the Nigeria Customs Service officers, describing the 7Cs not merely as a code, but as a compass that guides every customs officer toward honour, duty professionalism, and national service, leaving a strong impression on participants.

The training however featured interactive sessions, question-and-answer segments, and syndicate discussions as officers were divided into two syndicates, each tasked with coming up with practical scenarios and proffering solutions on how reputational challenges should be handled or was handled. All modules were presented with detailed slides to enhance understanding and participation.

The participants commended the initiative and acknowledged its positive impact on their understanding of what reputation management is all about as officers noted that a single act of misconduct could stain the uniform of a thousand honest others reinforcing the lesson that reputation management begins with individual accountability.

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