PR practitioners advocate role in nation-building
By Ibidunni Banjoko
Navigating the future of communication and national development dominated discussions at the just concluded 33rd Annual PR Leadership Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Lagos State Chapter. The lecture was held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, on Thursday, 22nd September 2022.
This year’s event had the theme, “Navigating the Future: Communication and Nation Building”. The annual PR Week and lecture have become part of the corporate culture of the Institute in setting agenda, building relationships with key stakeholders, and promoting professionalism and excellence among practitioners.
In her welcome speech, Comfort Obot Nwankwo, Chairman of the Lagos Chapter, noted that Lagos State is the leading and most populated branch of the Institute accounting yearly for about 60% of public relations practitioners in the country.
“As the saying goes, he who fails to plan plans to fail. We are here because the future is the function of our actions today. The need for proper stakeholders’ engagement cannot be overlooked. As public relations professionals, we are expected to re-awaken that national function required for a greater future,” she said.
“I commend Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his leadership and for supporting the Institute and its members. I would like to appreciate the leadership of the NIPR too. We are not there yet, but we are going somewhere,” she stated.
Hon. (Engineer) David Setonji, Chairman, House Committee on Information, Security and Strategy, who represented Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, the speaker of Lagos State House Assembly, in his keynote speech, said the issue of Public Relations is taken seriously in Lagos. He urged PR practitioners to manage communication professionally as the state needs insight from them to curb mismanagement of information.
In his good will message, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, the President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), said: “There couldn’t have been a better time for us to discuss a timeous topic like this. The future is not some esoteric space that is far away; the future is here. The future is already being determined around some tables nationwide, and my challenge is: Do we as PR practitioners have a seat at the table?
“The navigational map is already flying somewhere in Abuja, and at different state capitals across the country. Where are the public relations people?” he asked.
“Is either we are at the table bringing that together or we’ll just end up as table shakers. We are just busy criticizing everything on social media, ranting daily about how that future we envision in 2023 and our expectations have not been met.
“We are the PR practitioners helping to shape the future of Lagos as far as legislation of good governance and welfare of people is concerned; other professionals have found their ways to the table. Let’s not think the future we are talking about is far, the future is here,” he said.
Sina Thorpe, Council member (NIPR) and immediate past Permanent Secretary, Lagos Ministry of Information and Strategy, advised PR practitioners to stop agonising and start organising.
“Without organising ourselves, nobody will take you seriously if you don’t take yourself seriously.
“There are issues that bother on state policy that the practitioners need to make inputs. What has been the position paper from the NIPR body when it comes to issues related to governance? It can only be rocket science if we don’t position ourselves properly,” he said.
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