Abdullahi Maiwada, national Public Relations Officer (NPRO) for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), is regarded by many admirers as one of Africa’s uncommon image makers
By Innocent Chukwu
He comes with unusual suave, discipline, enthusiasm and passion for service delivery. When the youthful Abdullahi Maiwada was appointed Customs national spokesperson, not a few had wondered if he possessed the maturity and capacity to thrive in the professional job. But today, he has proved to the doubting Thomases that in the 21st century, youthfulness is an added advantage to sound leadership.
Agile, articulate and a die-hard advocate of patriotism, erudite Maiwada has taken Customs Public Relations management to a height his successor can hardly sustain. He speaks in defence of the NCS policies and operations with an oratory prowess never witnessed in the history of the Service. His influence in, and assertive approach to responding to media inquiry, often stunned many members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm who have encountered him one-on-one. He speaks with smoothness of words, and convincingly too, adding a touch of professionalism and friendliness that can keep off guard any media man who is not worth their onion.
Hence, he is referred to as among the finest public institutions’ image makers in Africa. Widely traveled, DC Maiwada has received numerous awards within and outside the Service, locally and internationally celebrated. To crown it all, last year, in recognition of his leadership acumen and and professional PR management capabilities, the management of the NCS under Dr. Adewale Adeniyi recommended him for special promotion, earning him a double promotion from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC) to Assistant Comptroller of Customs (AC), and promptly promoted to Deputy Comptroller (DC) of Customs without subjecting him to the usual promotion examination that should have preceded his promotion to the rank of DC. More commendable is the fact that even his rank mates, the ACs, were happy with his elevation because of the reputable public image Maiwada has attracted to the NCS which hitherto was suffering from unfavorable public perception.
A Fellow of the NIPR, Maiwada possesses strong capacity to interface effectively with the various publics of the NCS on daily basis.
When asked what gives him the energy to work tirelessly, he would say it is the passion and his natural talent for the job which has been polished with high academic attainment, as well as his desire to present the NCS in positive light before the international community
Maiwada does not dismiss issues against his organization, rather he deploys friendly approach and and professional skills acquired through education to explain every controversial policy, every perceived error on the part of the Service, as well as any un-doings that could rub off negatively on the public image of the NCS. He is being celebrated in Nigeria as a rare PR manager whose passion and dedication have added value to the operations of the revenue generating agency.
