Minister Lauds Ibietan’s Election As APRA Secretary General

Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris has congratulated Dr Omoniyi Ibietan on his recent election as the secretary-general of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).

He also welcomed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, to establish a degree-awarding academy for public relations practice in Nigeria.

Idris, in a statement he signed and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, said, “I equally welcome the recent election of a Nigerian, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, as the Secretary-General of the African Public Relations Association (APRA).”

He noted that public relations (PR) has now been designated as a cadre in the Federal Civil Service, effective December 2023.

He said the Information Officer Cadre has been re-designated to ‘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 added that Nigeria will continue to strengthen and elevate public relations practice at home and across Africa.

He stated that recently, when he received the president of the African Public Relations Association, Mr Arik Karani, he commended Nigeria.

He said, “Nigeria was, for the longest time, the only country in Africa with a law that professionalized public relations. Nigeria 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.”

He concluded with encouraging remarks, assuring that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will continue to provide the enabling environment for everybody within Nigeria’s communications industry to thrive.