Ibeto Seaport Customs Command Holds Reputation Management Training to Strengthen Ethics, Professionalism and Public Trust

By Bon Peters/

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.
The development was contained in a press release from the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Emmanuel Tangwa.

The training was described as part of a service-wide programme designed to entrench integrity, accountability and public confidence in Customs operations.

Declaring the training open, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Usman Yahaya, urged officers to remain attentive and actively participate in all modules.

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

The CAC stressed that officers must consciously build their reputation with integrity and protect it with courage, adding that personal conduct ultimately reflects on the entire Service.

Five facilitators guided officers and management through carefully designed modules during the session.

The lead resource person, Deputy Comptroller Jacob Onele, in charge of Revenue, delivered a comprehensive session on the introduction to reputation management and its practical application within the NCS. He explained the objectives of the Reputation Management Handbook and stressed that it is compulsory reading for all officers.

Onele further highlighted why reputation management is essential to the NCS, identifying factors that shape public perception, including officers’ conduct, communication style, operational transparency, complaint handling, clarity in engagements, and the overall tone of interaction with the public.

He also outlined the roles and responsibilities of leadership, senior management, public relations officers, and officers at command, zonal and field levels.

He concluded that the strength of the NCS is anchored not only in enforcement, but also in the public trust built through every clearance process and engagement.

Speaking on the broader theme of crisis and reputational risk management, Assistant Comptroller O.E. Ita, Acting Deputy Comptroller (Administration), 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, preventing reputational damage and restoring public confidence.

Another facilitator, Assistant Comptroller M.S. Abdullahi, Chief Examiner of the Command, spoke on media controversies and misinformation capable of undermining the Service’s credibility and operations.

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

Also speaking, Deputy Comptroller H.A. Barka, Team Manager of the Customs Intelligence Unit, focused on operational lapses, corruption allegations and the role of Customs Reputation Ambassadors.

He distinguished between unintentional operational lapses and deliberate 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 B.A. Lawson Wadike, delivered an engaging session on the Golden 7Cs for Nigeria Customs Service officers, describing the principles not merely as a code, but as a compass guiding every officer towards honour, duty, professionalism and national service.

The training featured interactive sessions, question-and-answer segments and syndicate discussions, as participants were divided into two groups tasked with developing practical scenarios and proposing solutions on how reputational challenges should be handled.

All modules were supported with detailed slides to enhance understanding and participation.

Participants commended the initiative, describing it as impactful and timely. They noted that a single act of misconduct could stain the uniform of a thousand honest officers, reinforcing the lesson that reputation management begins with individual accountability.