By Omonu YG Nelson
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has taken a significant step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management to establish a degree-awarding academy for public relations practice in Nigeria.
According to Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, “I welcome the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management… Nigeria will continue to play a leading role in strengthening and elevating public relations practice at home and across Africa.”
This development comes on the heels of another milestone achievement – the election of Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan as the Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).
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Furthermore, the Federal Civil Service has designated Public Relations as a cadre, a move championed by the NIPR. The Information Officer Cadre has been re-designated to ‘Information and Public Relations Officer Cadre’, and the Executive Cadre to ‘Executive Officer (Information and Public Relations)’.
The President of the African Public Relations Association, Mr. Arik Karani, praised Nigeria’s pioneering role in professionalizing public relations, stating, “[Nigeria] was, for the longest time, the only country in Africa that had a law that professionalized public relations… It was Nigeria that started it on the continent, and only last year did Zambia come out with its own law.”
Minister Idris assured that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to provide an enabling environment for the communications industry to thrive.
This historic MOU and international recognition signify a major boost to public relations practice in Nigeria, cementing the country’s leadership role in the field across Africa.