The Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) has honoured the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, with a fellowship at a special convocation ceremony held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
The event took place at the Sir Kensington Adebutu Media Resource Centre in the institute’s Ogba campus, attracting dignitaries from the media, security, and business communities, alongside alumni and students.
Chairman of the institute’s Governing Council and former Ogun State governor, Olusegun Osoba, presided over the ceremony and commended the Customs boss for his distinguished career and impact.
Osoba disclosed that the conferment received the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, underscoring its national significance.
He noted that Adeniyi’s journey from a student of the institute in 1989 to the pinnacle of the Nigeria Customs Service reflects a legacy of diligence, professionalism, and excellence.
“Adeniyi is making history as the first past student of the NIJ to be conferred with this fellowship,” Osoba said, adding that his career trajectory stands as a model for aspiring journalists and public servants alike.
He further recalled that the last recipient of the NIJ Fellowship was Kessington Adebutu, who was honoured for his philanthropy.
Also speaking at the event, NIJ Provost, Gbenga Adefaye, commended Adeniyi for maintaining a strategic balance between enforcement and trade facilitation at the Customs Service, attributing this to the effective deployment of technology and sustained stakeholder engagement.
He added that Adeniyi, a Ph.D. holder and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), was recognised for his exceptional leadership, commitment to public service, and contributions to the promotion of excellence in the Nigerian media.
In his acceptance speech, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi expressed deep gratitude to the institution, describing the recognition as a “full circle moment” nearly four decades after his formative training at NIJ.
He reflected on how the values instilled during his time at the institute, particularly professionalism and ethical conduct, have shaped his career in public service.
“This institution planted in me a set of values that I did not fully understand at the time, but which have guided me through every stage of my career,” he said.
Addressing students, the Customs boss, urged the students to remain consistent and focused, noting that “the distance between the platform and the podium is shorter than you think,” a metaphor he used to encourage perseverance and ambition.
Highlight of the moment was when Adeniyi announced a personal commitment to giving back to the institute through the construction of a two-storey Multimedia Resource Centre.
According to him, the facility will include modern training infrastructure to enhance capacity building for journalists, as well as a fully equipped studio for the NIJ Community Radio.
He said the project is informed by the institute’s needs assessment and is designed to strengthen practical training in multimedia journalism and communication.
