Abuja-based public relations practitioner and founder of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, has issued a formal pre-action notice to the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), demanding his immediate reinstatement into the Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) and compensation of ₦1billion for alleged reputational damage, emotional trauma, and financial losses resulting from what he described as a wrongful withdrawal from the elite training programme by the Institute.
The letter, dated June 16, 2025, and signed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Yunus Abdulsalam, was addressed to Professor Ayo Omotayo, the Director General of NIPSS. It outlined what he called a string of alleged infractions by the Institute against Shuaib, including cyberstalking, unlawful access to private communications, and baseless disciplinary measures, which the legal team claimed were aimed at humiliating and ejecting their client from the programme under alleged false pretences.
Shuaib, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), was nominated and admitted to SEC 47 earlier this year. However, the relationship between him and the Institute reportedly soured after he was served two queries over PR articles allegedly linked to him.
Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha issued the queries on behalf of Barrister Nima Salman Mann, the acting director of studies at NIPSS.
A news report, titled “NIPSS Goes Digital: Launches Paperless Platform after Submitting Landmark Report to President Tinubu”, was published by Shuaib’s platform, PRNigeria, but Shuaib insisted he neither authored nor sanctioned it. His legal representatives argued that the article was independently disseminated by other media outlets and contained no classified or confidential information therein.
The second query, according to the legal notice, referenced another article authored by Shuaib on the Blue Economy—an area unrelated to NIPSS activities. The article, titled “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy: A PR Perspective”, was described by the legal team as a constitutionally protected expression of opinion. However, the Institute allegedly cited it as grounds for punitive action after unlawfully accessing Mr. Shuaib’s private email account.
The legal team denounced what it called a “fault-finding voyage” by the Institute, alleging that NIPSS had violated Mr. Shuaib’s digital privacy in an attempt to fabricate misconduct. “The Institute’s actions constitute a flagrant violation of digital privacy and a breach of constitutional rights under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution,” the letter stated.
It further described the queries and withdrawal process as malicious, unfounded, and driven by “sheer institutional malice.” Despite his compliance and respect for constituted authority, the notice claimed that Mr. Shuaib was treated in a manner “incompatible with professional standards and institutional values.”
The legal notice issued to NIPSS gave the institution a 14-day ultimatum to comply with specific demands concerning Mr. Yushau Shuaib. These include the formal and unconditional withdrawal of all disciplinary actions taken against him, as well as a written apology addressed to him and copied to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The notice further demanded Mr. Shuaib’s immediate reinstatement into the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 47, with full privileges restored—particularly access to international study tours. It also sought a compensation of ₦1 billion for what was described as reputational, emotional, and financial harm caused by the institute’s actions.
The letter warned that failure to meet the demands within the stipulated timeframe would result in the initiation of legal proceedings, including claims for aggravated damages and declaratory relief.
The case, if pursued, could raise critical questions around digital rights, institutional accountability, and freedom of expression within Nigeria’s premier policy think-tank. As of the time of this report, NIPSS has not officially responded to the development.
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