NIPR, global body sign MoU to begin varsity in Nigeria, minister assures of support

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A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, to establish a degree-awarding academy for public relations practice in Nigeria.

In a statement dated June 29, 2024, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, fnipr, who witnessed the event, also welcomed the recent election of a Nigerian, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, as the Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).

He also emphasized that Public Relations (PR) has now been designated as a cadre in the Federal Civil Service, with effect from December 2023.

According to him, “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)’,” adding that the “NIPR played a critical role in championing this, and deserve commendation.”

The statement further stated that Nigeria will continue to play a leading role in strengthening and elevating public relations practice at home and across Africa.

He said only recently, “when I received the President of the African Public Relations Association, Mr. Arik Karani, he commended Nigeria in this regard, statin that, “[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. So now we have two countries on the continent, and only now in Kenya, the bill for professionalizing public relations is at the second reading in Parliament.”

The minister assured that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will continue to provide the enabling environment for everybody within Nigeria’s communications industry to thrive.