Professor Justin Green, President Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, has described the upcoming World Public Relations Forum 2026 as a defining moment for the global communications profession, pointing to a series of landmark announcements that will make Nigeria’s hosting of the event one for the history books.

Green used the occasion of International Women’s Day to announce that the first confirmed speaker for the forum is Melissa Ruth Fleming, Global Communications Director for the United Nations in New York.

“It is fitting that she is the first person to be confirmed, and we will announce that today on International Women’s Day,” he said, drawing a deliberate connection between the forum’s commitment to responsible communication and the imperative to place women’s voices at the centre of the global PR conversation.

Green was speaking during the Global Alliance WPRF 2026 Special Pre-Webinar, held in solidarity with women across the world under the theme “Responsible Communication as a Tool for Advancing Women’s Rights and Social Justice.”

He made clear that the choice of Fleming as the forum’s first announced speaker was not incidental but a declaration of intent about the kind of voices the event intends to amplify when it convenes in Abuja in November.

The WPRF 2026 is scheduled to hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, from November 15 to 21, 2026, under the official theme “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World.” It will run alongside the African Public Relations Association Conference and is expected to draw an unprecedented international audience.

Green expressed admiration for the groundwork already laid by the Nigerian organising team, revealing that Dr. Ike Neliaku, NIPR President had already secured participation commitments from over 26 countries.

“Dr. Ike has signed up over 26 countries already to attend and so we are going to be well represented internationally.”

Green pointed to two announcements that elevate the forum from a conference into a historic occasion. The first is the launch of the world’s first university devoted entirely to public relations and communication leadership, to be located in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, and officially unveiled during the November conference. The second is the release of 25 years of accumulated Global Alliance research, a body of knowledge that will be made available to the global PR community to coincide with the event.

Green also announced that five distinguished individuals from around the world will be honoured during the forum, with each receiving a dedicated day of recognition within the conference programme. These are not ceremonial gestures but a deliberate effort to celebrate the profession’s history while pointing firmly toward its future.

With a UN Communications Director headlining, the world’s first PR university set for launch, a quarter century of global research about to be released and 26 countries already committed, the 2026 World PR Forum is shaping up to be far more than a conference. As Nigeria’s campaign slogan for the event puts it — No Wahala.