NIPR CELEBRATES WORLD PR DAY, SAYS PUBLIC RELATIONS HAS EVOLVED INTO STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ROLE

NIPR CELEBRATES WORLD PR DAY, SAYS PUBLIC RELATIONS HAS EVOLVED INTO STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ROLE

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has joined communication professionals globally to commemorate the 2026 World Public Relations Day with a call for practitioners to embrace the evolving role of the profession in shaping strategic decisions and national development.

The celebration, themed “The Golden Age of Strategic PR,” highlights the transformation of public relations from a media-focused function into a critical leadership tool driven by strategic thinking, relationship management and trusted counsel.

In a statement signed by the President and Chairman of Council of the Institute, Dr. Ike Neliaku, he said the theme reinforces NIPR’s long-standing position that public relations has moved beyond messaging and media relations.

According to him, public relations practitioners have become boardroom strategists, reputation managers and custodians of institutional credibility, influencing decisions at the highest levels of governance and leadership.

Dr. Neliaku noted that the profession now plays a vital role in building relationship capital, providing strategic foresight and supporting organisations in achieving sustainable growth.

He announced that Nigeria will host what is expected to be the biggest World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled to take place in Abuja from November 15 to 21, 2026.

The event, he said, is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates from 126 member countries of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, including presidents, industry leaders, regulators, scholars and communication executives.

The NIPR President reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to equipping Nigerian practitioners with the strategic skills, ethical values and relationship intelligence needed to compete globally.

He stressed that public relations has gone beyond being a support function, describing it as a form of strategic development capital.

On World Public Relations Day, Dr. Neliaku urged practitioners to embrace the demands of the new era by leading with insight, offering counsel with integrity and building the relationship capital required for strategic influence.