FG okays Degree-Awarding Public Relations Academy in Nigeria

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has welcome the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, to establish a Degree-Awarding Academy for Public Relations Practice in Nigeria.

The Minister who recently attended the NIPR 60th Anniversary Grand Colloquium Themed: Public Relations Value Re-Orientation and Economic Transformation, has also applauded the election of a Nigerian, Omoniyi Ibietan, as the Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).

He said that Public Relations (PR) has now been designated as a Cadre in the Federal Civil Service, with effect from December 2023.

The Information Officer Cadre, according to the Minister has been re-designated 'Information and Public Relations Officer Cadre', and the Executive Cadre to 'Executive Officer (Information and Public Relations)'.

“The NIPR played a critical role in championing this, and deserves commendation,” he said while adding that Nigeria will continue to play a leading role in strengthening and elevating Public Relations Practice at Home and across Africa.

“Recently, when I received the President of the African Public Relations Association, Arik Karani, he commended Nigeria in this regard.

"Nigeria was, for the longest time, the only Country in Africa that had a Law that Professionalised Public Relations.

"It was Nigeria that started it on the Continent, and only last year did Zambia come out with its own Law. So now we have two Countries on the Continent, and only now in Kenya, the Bill for Professionalising Public Relations is at the Second Reading in Parliament."

The Minister described the Remarks by the APRA President as encouraging and gave assurance that the Administration of President Bola Tinubu will continue to provide the Enabling Environment for everybody within Nigeria's Communications Industry to thrive.