NIPR plans summit to stem nation’s reputation challenge

By Princewill Ekwujuru

Worried by the spate of reputation challenges presently confronting the nation, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, (NIPR), said it would soon convene a national summit involving key stakeholders, with a view to dissecting the image problem of the country and chart a new way forward.

Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, NIPR President, disclosed this in Lagos during an induction ceremony for the institute’s new members and its Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD), the president and chairman of the governing council of the institute,, stated that the need to project the appropriate image of the country as against the wrong perception of the country by the outside world.

The NIPR boss noted that it had become imperative for the Federal Government to spare no efforts in the twin quest of solidifying the unity, as well as projecting a more positive image for the country.

There is the need for our political leaders to consider the imperative of developing a module for managing our diverse environment by marrying public expectations with actual performance in relation to our political matrix and institutions in the implementation of their programmes.

This will ensure the bridging of existing gap between the leadership and the larger political system to resolve some of the fundamental problems plaguing the political space by ensuring the strengthening of the processes of service delivery’, he stated.

While congratulating the inductees as well as participants at the MCPD Programme, for being on the side of the law, by following the due process of accreditation, the NIPR boss however charged them to see the exercise as the beginning and certainly not the end’ of their obligations to the Institute.

You should endeavour to pay your subscription and participate in the Institute’s activities at Chapter and national levels, as well as the MCPD which will help to ensure your growth in the NIPR professional ladder’, he counselled.

Alhaji Abdulahi re-stated the institute’s determination to maintain discipline in the profession and stamp out quackery, adding that only accredited individual from the institute is qualified to practise public relations in the country, either in paid or self employment.

NIPR Act No 16 of 1990 empowers the institute to regulate public relations practice in Nigeria and the enabling law indeed makes it an offence for the employee, and also the employer of a public relations quack. If found guilty they can be fined, jailed or both’, he added.