History was made on Wednesday at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) when the Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was conferred with the its prestigious Fellowship in a special convocation ceremony marked by tributes, reflection, and a landmark institutional endowment.
Held at the Institute’s campus, the event drew eminent personalities from journalism, public service, and academia, including veteran media icon Sam Amuka-Pemu and respected journalist Ray Ekpu, both celebrated for their enduring contributions to Nigerian journalism.
Chairman of the NIJ Governing Council, Olusegun Osoba, described the conferment as historic, noting that Adeniyi is the first alumnus of the Institute to receive the Fellowship. He stressed that the honour is reserved for individuals with “landmark achievements” in their professions and national life, adding that the decision to honour the Customs boss was unanimous.
Osoba highlighted Adeniyi’s transformative leadership at Customs, particularly his role in boosting revenue generation from billions to trillions of naira, as well as his global recognition as Chairman of the World Customs Organization Council—a first for Nigeria.
Provost of NIJ, Gbenga Adefaye, said the Fellowship goes beyond celebrating individual success, describing it as a validation of the Institute’s enduring values of discipline, professionalism, and ethical responsibility. He noted that Adeniyi’s career trajectory—from public relations officer to Comptroller-General—demonstrates how communication can be a powerful tool for institutional reform. Adefaye credited Adeniyi with redefining the image of the Customs Service through transparency and strategic communication, while also strengthening enforcement and trade facilitation.
In his acceptance speech, Adeniyi expressed deep gratitude to the Institute, recalling his time as a young student who passed through its gates in 1989. He described the Fellowship as a “full-circle moment,” emphasising that the values instilled in him—professionalism, discipline, and continuous self-development—have guided his nearly four-decade career in public service. “This institution planted in me values I did not fully understand at the time, but which I have lived by ever since,” he said.
A major highlight of the ceremony was Adeniyi’s announcement of a donation to NIJ: a two-storey multimedia resource centre equipped with modern production and editing studios, classrooms, and staff offices, designed to prepare students for 21st-century journalism. He also pledged to support the transition of NIJ’s community radio from an online platform to a full terrestrial station, including the provision of a transmitter and necessary infrastructure. Adeniyi explained that the initiative forms part of a broader corporate social responsibility framework under his leadership, aimed at supporting education, capacity building, and professional development in Nigeria.
Addressing students, Adeniyi urged them to remain committed to self-development, assuring them that recognition would come with consistency and dedication. “The distance between the platform and the podium is shorter than you think,” he said, encouraging them to keep building their skills and embracing opportunities.
The ceremony underscored NIJ’s legacy as Nigeria’s foremost media training institution and highlighted the growing intersection between journalism, public service, and national development. It also reinforced Adeniyi’s profile not only as a public servant but as a reformer and advocate for capacity development in the media and communication sector. The event concluded with widespread commendation for Adeniyi’s contributions to national growth and his commitment to giving back to the institution that helped shape his career.