- NIPR inducted 448 new members including Blueprint Deputy Online Editor Bode Olagoke in Abuja
- The institute unveiled a new Africa-centred definition of public relations and called for curriculum and ethical reforms
- NIPR leadership charged inductees to uphold ethics integrity and responsible influence in national development
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has inducted 448 new members, including Deputy Online Editor of Blueprint Newspapers, Mr Bode Olagoke, and unveiled a new definition of public relations aimed at reflecting Africa’s cultural realities and trust challenges.
The induction ceremony, which held on Friday, December 12, in Abuja, brought together media professionals, public relations practitioners and industry leaders from across the country.
Source: Original
New members welcomed into the profession
Among those inducted were journalists from leading media organisations, including Mr Jide Orintunsin of The Nation, Mr Francis Adebayo of The Punch, and Mr Frank Omalapeh of ARISE News Television.
Mr Olagoke, an award-winning journalist from Okeho in Oyo State, holds a Master’s degree in Media Arts from the University of Abuja and currently serves as Deputy Online Editor of Blueprint Newspapers, an Abuja-based national daily.
NIPR unveils new definition of public relations
The event also featured the unveiling of a new definition of public relations by the Institute, a move the NIPR leadership said was long overdue.
Unveiling the definition, the Vice President of NIPR, Prof Emmanuel Dandaura, said the revision was necessary to ensure the profession reflects Africa’s culture, background and contemporary realities.
“We needed a definition that speaks to who we are, our values, our peculiarities and, importantly, the trust deficit facing our continent,” Dandaura said.
He described public relations as a discipline rooted in leadership, trust and influence, adding that it must mirror African societal values rather than rely solely on foreign constructs.
Call for curriculum and professional reforms
Prof Dandaura also called for reforms in public relations education, urging educators to prioritise indigenous communication models and ethical practice.
“PR teachers must train ethical advisers, not technicians. The profession must be African-centred, ethically grounded and professionally regulated,” he said.
Inductees charged to uphold ethics and integrity
In his address, the NIPR President, Dr Ike Neliaku, charged the new inductees to uphold ethics, integrity and truth in their professional conduct, stressing that public relations was not about manipulation.
“You are not manipulators of truth; you are its stewards,” Neliaku said.
He described the inductees as “guardians of trust” at a time of national challenges and declining values.
He said the profession was both a calling and a covenant, anchored on service to the nation, institutions and humanity.
Public relations central to national development
Dr Neliaku emphasised that public relations plays a critical role in national development, governance and public confidence.
“Public relations is not peripheral to national development. It is central to it. Nations rise or fall not only on the strength of their economies or armies, but on the credibility of their stories, the coherence of their values and the confidence they inspire,” he said.
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He added that no reform could succeed without public understanding, and no government could govern effectively without credibility.
Ethical influence, not spin, NIPR president says
The NIPR President warned inductees against reducing the profession to propaganda, stressing that public relations is about ethical influence and strategic engagement.
“It is not spin. It is ethical influence, strategic engagement and truth, anchored on the power of narratives and persuasion,” he said.
Addressing the new members directly, Neliaku urged them to use their influence responsibly.
“You have been entrusted with the power to shape public opinion, influence policy outcomes and build reputations that affect livelihoods and national stability.
“I urge you to use that power wisely, let your work strengthen Nigeria, let your voice elevate truth, and let your profession serve humanity,” he said.
Source: Legit.ng
