By Jessica Ishaku, Lafia
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has commenced a nationwide mobilisation campaign for the forthcoming World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), with the flag-off of a roadshow in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The campaign, led by the President and Chairman of the NIPR Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, is aimed at creating wider awareness of the global public relations gathering and encouraging Nigerians, institutions and professionals to participate in the event.
The WPRF is scheduled to hold in Abuja from November 15 to 21 and is expected to bring together delegates from 126 member countries of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony, Neliaku said the roadshow was designed to take the message of the WPRF to Nigerians at the grassroots and ensure that the significance of hosting the international event in Nigeria is widely understood.
He said the forum would provide an opportunity for global stakeholders to engage in discussions on public relations, strategic communication and professional leadership.
According to him, the scale of the event requires extensive public sensitisation, early registration, institutional collaboration and increased professional visibility.
Neliaku further disclosed that the President of the Global Alliance, Prof. Justin Green, had been engaging stakeholders across the country as part of efforts to strengthen media visibility and broaden awareness of the forum.
Explaining why Nasarawa was selected to launch the nationwide campaign, the NIPR President said the state had a significant place in the history of public relations education and leadership.
He specifically highlighted Gudi in Akwanga Local Government Area, which he described as the home of the world’s first University of Public Relations and Leadership.
Neliaku said the historical connection made Lafia an appropriate starting point for a campaign that would take the WPRF message to different parts of Nigeria.
He also urged young and emerging public relations practitioners to take advantage of the forum to develop their careers through knowledge exchange, networking, academic engagement and professional collaboration.
The NIPR President reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to promoting effective public communication and strategic image management, while calling on Nigerians and stakeholders to support the successful hosting of the forum.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nasarawa State Chapter of NIPR, Dr. Joseph Attah, commended the national leadership for choosing Nasarawa as the launch point of the roadshow.
Attah pledged the chapter’s support for the mobilisation campaign and the successful hosting of the WPRF.
The roadshow commenced at the A.A. Rano Filling Station along Jos Road, Lafia, where NIPR members and participants, dressed in branded vests and caps, embarked on a procession through major streets of the state capital.
The procession moved through the city and proceeded to the Palace of the Emir of Lafia before terminating at Lafia Square.
The Institute said similar exercises were conducted peacefully across the states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, as part of its nationwide mobilisation ahead of the global forum.
The NIPR said the campaign was not only aimed at promoting the WPRF but also at creating broader national ownership of the event and highlighting Nigeria’s role in the global public relations and communication community.
