Over 600 media practitioners have been inducted into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
At the Diamond Jubilee ceremony organized for the inductees in Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, in a message to the gathering, underscored the need for public relations practitioners to double their efforts in promoting the image of Nigeria for the country to continue to attract investors and maintain its trajectory of economic growth and development.
The federal government under the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has continued to face constant backlash from the citizens due to the current challenges facing the country, including the increasing cost of living and transportation.
Some citizens have even taken to the streets to protest and air their grievances, while others continue to call the country names, saying they have lost hope in Nigeria.
This formed the basis of the message by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Malam Idris Muhammed, represented by the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Alhaji Jubril Baba-Ndachi.
The Minister said it was time reputation managers stayed true to their profession by promoting the reputation of Nigeria rather than demarketing it.
”Therefore we have a responsibility as citizens and for you who are inducted today, you have a dual role of not just representing your organisations but also going forcefully to speak positively right about your own country. Do not be part of those who demarket the country.
Nigeria is a beautiful country. There are challenges as the president has acknowledged, but something is being done. No family is perfect, no country is perfect, and therefore you shouldn’t be the driver of negative narratives about our country.”
Similarly, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, thought it was time for the country, particularly the stakeholders, to unite and design a new narrative for Nigeria.
”No matter how you want to promote, market, or rebuild the reputation of your country, internal publicity, and domestic image are compulsory. That’s why we need to put everything together with the government, with civil societies, and with the citizens to have a new narrative.”
On his part, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Akintunde Rotimi Junior said the 10th National Assembly is very intentional about the image of the country and prioritizes engagement with critical stakeholders on rewriting the perceived maligned image of the country.
He said it behooves all Nigerians to join hands with the present administration to make Nigeria greater than it is already.
Furthermore, while congratulating the new inductees, the Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Dr Mohammed Bulama, pledged the corporation’s commitment to supporting NIPR in leading the campaign for a better reputation for the country.
Some of the new inductees including Tosin Kolade, Daniel Adejo, and the Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media, Jude Zoho said with their induction, they’ll intensify efforts towards using their various media platforms to rebrand the reputation of the country, the largest economy in Africa.
RN
