president of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, has said that the institute will play a decisive role in rebuilding Nigeria’s economy for the benefit of the citizenry.
Mr Neliaku stated this at a dinner held in his honor in Abuja on Saturday night.
He underlined the fundamental role of public relations in shaping the destiny of the nation.
He said: “One of the things we said when my administration was elected was that we are going to build public relations for development because public relations has an essential role to play in the development of a nation.
“The question for Nigeria, apart from corruption, is how do we rebuild our economy? This is very important”.
“And you can’t take economics out of a relationship, that’s what we’ve been missing. The relationship in the economy, the relationship in politics and the relationship in sociocultural affairs. The relationship is everything. So how can we bring Public Relations to the heart of economic growth and development of the nation?
Neliaku, elected in August 2023, reiterated the institute’s plans to establish a school dedicated to public relations.
He said the Vice President of NIPR, Emmanuel Dandaura, heads the Education Advisory Board (EAB) that is overseeing the initiative to create the Nigerian University of Public Relations.
“As you may have heard, we are establishing a Nigerian University of Public Relations, the first of its kind in the world, not in Nigeria, not in Africa, not a school like that. There is already a team in it.”
He said the institution’s faculty would not only consist of traditional educators but would also have experienced professionals who would share practical knowledge to train students in the real-world application of public relations.
The President revealed plans for the development of a Nigerian House of Reputation, an innovative concept by the Education Advisory Council.
He said the institute would inaugurate a committee in the first quarter of 2024 to develop the concept of the Chamber where all information that redefines Nigeria’s reputation would be accessed.
According to him, land has already been acquired for the house in Abuja.
“This quarter, we will inaugurate a committee that will develop the concept of Nigeria Reputation House, where you can have all the information you need to redefine Nigeria’s reputation.”
“We have the land. We thank the immediate past minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who gave us the land. Now is the time to conceive and develop it,” he stated.
Neliaku also said the institute would soon launch a Public Relations Forum for young Nigerians, while a National Spokesperson Summit scheduled for March aims to improve communication skills for a prosperous Nigeria.
He said an annual conference during Public Relations Week in April will explore the topic “The importance of public relations in the nation’s economy.”
Neliaku expressed concern over the dearth of quality leadership in Nigeria due to deep-rooted corruption. He lamented the resulting challenges facing the country and called for a transformative approach.
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He, however, expressed optimism about Nigeria’s recovery, citing its abundant resources and diverse strengths.
Among those attending the dinner were Voice of Nigeria (VON) Director General Jibrin Ndace, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Acting Vice-Chancellor Kate Omenugha and former Nigerian Army Spokesperson Sani Usman.