The President, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, has charged 421 newly inducted members to ensure proper projection and effective management of Nigeria’s reputation, image and narratives.
Neliaku gave the charge at the institute’s 2026 first quarter induction ceremony on Thursday in Abuja.
He stressed that NIPR was not a civil society organisation, union or activist group, but a professional institute guided by scientific principles.
“NIPR is an institute. What that means is that whatever we are doing must be scientific. It must not be based on emotion because in our clime, emotion rules logic.
“Once you do something, you are first of all judged from the perception of emotion.
”If the message is strong and the messenger is weak, the messenger will corrupt the message. And as a result of that, people will not likely to listen to the message of the messenger.
“This is because, credibility goes before contact. It is who you are that will speak for you, even before you come into the room.That’s why we talk about reputation,” he said.
Neliaku noted that in today’s media environment, visibility does not necessarily translate to success.
“You can be visible everywhere but not victorious in your context. Eloquence without credibility is a fragile asset; it can easily be punctured,” he added.
He said that public relations practitioners were not merely storytellers but custodians of national integrity, reputation and credibility.
He urged practitioners to be proactive and transparent, adding that mistakes should be acknowledged to build trust.
The NIPR president also reviewed recent media engagements involving public officials and highlighted the importance of credibility in shaping public perception.
He further outlined upcoming activities of the institute, including its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Kaduna, the World Public Relations Forum in Abuja and the African Public Relations Association (APRA) conference in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the institute, Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, represented by Malam Mukhtar Sirajo, reminded the inductees of the global relevance of the profession.
“Being a member of the NIPR, you are also a member not just here, but you are recognised as a peer practitioner in all the countries of Africa and in all the 126 countries that are members of the Global Alliance.
“So you are not just joining a profession in Nigeria, you are being inducted into becoming a global professional in the practice of public relations.
“This induction is not being done for the glamour and the pictures that you are taking, it is in fulfillment of a legal requirement for you to be accepted as members,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Ini Essien delivered the induction orientation lecture, while the Chairman, Membership Services Committee, Mrs Maryam Sanusi, presented the inductees.
The Registrar, Mr Uzoma Onyagbadue, administered the oath on the 421 new members.
The inductees pledged to abide by the institute’s rules and contribute to promoting Nigeria’s reputation and positive narratives.
