PR Expert Urges NIPR to Establish National Structure in Abuja
By Kabir Abdulsalam, Juliet Agoyi
A renowned Public Relations Expert, Dr. Wole Adamolekun, has called on the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to pursue the establishment of a national building for its members in Abuja.
This he said will boost the presence and recognition of the institute in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and also cement the position of NIPR as one of the most respected professional bodies in the country.
Dr. Adamolekun, a one-time Chairman of the NIPR FCT Chapter, made the call during an interactive session with journalists and PR practitioners at the PRNigeria Centre in Abuja on Wednesday.
During the session, Dr. Adamolekun who is Associate Professor of Mass Communication at Elizade University, emphasised the crucial role that public relations plays in today’s fast-paced and highly interconnected society.
He commended NIPR for the role it played in the recently unveiled Citizen Summit report which serves as a channel to chart a new course to advance the nation’s global reputation.
Adamolekun highlighted the need for the NIPR to continue to offer specialised training and certification programmes to practitioners to enhance their skills and make them stay abreast of the latest industry trends. This, he believes, will not only empower PR professionals but also elevate the overall standard of the practice.
He said that public relations is an elite profession for the best brains and not the poorly bred.
He noted that time has come for practitioners to deepen their knowledge base, expand their horizon and conduct extensive research which will elevate their minds and advance the profession.
“PR professionals need to intellectualise the practice. It goes beyond dressing powerfully and speaking well but the ability of one to add content in terms of intellectual rigour,” he said.
“A Public Relations person must be good with research, he should know how to use data and do analysis. These are the things that distinguish a professional from a non-professional in PR,” he said.
He lamented the fact that despite NIPR advocacy, some organisations are still hiring non PR professionals as their spokespersons, adding that professionals should keep doing their best to honour the profession.
He commended PRNigeria Centre for what it is doing to advance the cause of PR and investigative reporting through its different titles
He empathised that fact-checking is one aspect the organisation has introduced which he appreciates a lot especially in the era where fake news backed by Artificial Intelligence have taken over the media space.
In his remarks, the Publisher of PRNigeria, Mallam Yushau Shuaib, commended Dr Adamolekun for his professionalism and consistency over the years.
He recalled the huge role the university don played in elevating PR practice when he served as NIPR chairman for FCT chapter.
Dr Adamolekun has over 45 years experience in corporate communication in downstream oil sector, micro credit administration and strategic communication.
A fellow of NIPR and African Public Relations Association, he was General Manager Operation and Corporate Service before he acted as Chief Executive Officer of Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), a decade ago.
