A one-day hybrid professional training organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Anambra State Chapter has ended with a renewed call on public relations practitioners to be part of management team of their respective organisations in order to contribute meaningfully to decision making and execution of policies.
The event, which was both virtual and physical brought together members of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in Anambra State, veteran and seasoned professionals, lecturers, government functionaries, media men among others, focused on reputation management, accountability and trust in public relations activities.
Speakers include two council members of NIPR: Dr Ahmad Sajor, Chairman, Chapter Support Development NIPR and Dr Nkechi Ali-Balogun, as well as Dr Ogonna Anunike, all Fellows of the Institute.
Declaring the event open at De-Nobles Hotels and Suites Awka, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor challenged public relations practitioners to look inwards to find lasting solution to negative reputation narrative of the state.
He noted that the ministry is working assiduously to change the narrative of reformation of a good “onye Anambra”.
Dr Mefor emphasised the power of branding and reputation management in politics and governance, noting that in public perception, perception is more potent than reality.
“The resource person talked about branding. In political communication, those of us in politics know that the individual politician is a brand — either a good one or a bad one. If you see yourself as a brand, you need to manage it,” he said.
“In social and learning psychology, reality and perception are miles apart, and perception happens to be more important than reality. Who you are, no matter how noble, if the perception out there is that you are a bad person, then you are a bad person. You need to manage your reputation,” he stated.
Dr Mefor observed that some politicians with poor track records thrive because of excellent reputation management, stressing that governance must go beyond information dissemination to strategic communication that drives attitude change and behaviour modification.
The Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Professor Kate Omenugha commended the organisers for their thoughtfulness especially their commitment to extend skill acquisition to public relations practitioners and other non-members.
Professor Omenugha, who is a member of NIPR Governing Council and Fellow of the Institute, emphasized the importance of reputation management, saying that governance cannot thrive where no reputation of government in power we exists and called on the Executive of the NIPR to liaise with protocol officers to meet the Governor Soludo on courtesy visit to enable them to contribute their quota in the Value Reformation mandate.
In a lead paper presentation, titled “Application of Public Relations Strategies Towards Maximization of Available Opportunities for Business Development,” the former Vice President of NIPR, Dr Denis Ekemezie observed that public relations gives one better opportunity to plan, hence planning and sustained PR efforts are critical to public relations practice embedded in goodwill establishment, mutual understanding and credibility preservation.
While identifying opportunity landscape for PR practitioners in Nigeria, Dr Ekemezie highlights key national growth sectors that require strategic PR positioning.
“Sector Analysis Agriculture & Agribusiness: Moving beyond primary cultivation into processing, storage, logistics, ag-tech, and international export ecosystems. Digital Economy: Tapping into fast-growing e-commerce, fintech, software development, online education, and digital services.
“Creative Arts & Entertainment: Capitalizing on Nollywood, Afrobeats, fashion, and digital content creation where personal branding and perception are paramount.
“Hospitality & Tourism: Brand positioning of eco-tourism, cultural heritage sites, and service offerings to domestic and international travelers. Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Enabling small businesses to scale by overcoming visibility deficits and establishing corporate credibility,” the Chairman Council of Fellows NIPR Anambra State posited.
Speaking on the topic, “Building Internal Partnership: Winning Public Trust and Responsible Communication in a Challenging Society,” a retired Army Spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman harped on building relationship based on truth, dialogue and understanding, stressing the need for leadership, information and skills on corporate reputation.
“The central lesson is simple: public trust is earned, not announced. It begins with what happens inside an organisation, with leadership, employees, coordination, integrity and performance and extends outward through responsible communication and meaningful engagement.
“For the PR practitioner, this means moving from publicity to partnership, from messaging to dialogue, and from reputation management to trust stewardship.
“We must listen before we speak, tell the truth even when it is uncomfortable, and ensure that what we communicate is supported by what the organisation actually does. Ultimately, PR should not merely help an organisation tell a credible story; it should help the organisation become credible. That is how communication earns trust, strengthens relationships and delivers lasting professional value,” the fellow of NIPR concluded
Also, in her paper entitled “The Essentials of Employee Relations, Team Building and Mentoring: Their Strategic Connection to Public Relations and Organisational Reputation,” the Director UNIZIK FM, Prof. Ifeoma Dunu stressed that organisational productivity and reputation depend not only on talented employees or attractive communication, but also on how workers are treated, empowered and developed.
She noted that sound employee relations should incorporate two-way communication, trust and credibility, fairness and procedural justice, employee voice and participation, recognition and wellbeing, grievance and conflict management as well as clear and proportionate discipline.
According to her, organisational/ employee reputation is necessary to increase productivity in that organisation, adding that Organizations should not begin by asking employees to speak well of it but should first build a work place about which they can speak well of.
Prof Dunu maintained that employee relations and team building form the foundation of organisational reputation while a healthy internal environment directly influences how an organisation is perceived externally.
“Employee relations creates the workplace climate in which people decide whether to contribute, withdraw or resist. Team building converts individual competence into coordinated action. Mentoring develops people, transfers knowledge and prepares leadership continuity. Public Relations connects these areas by enabling listening, shared meaning, dialogue and alignment between organisational behaviour and stakeholder expectations.
“Their combined effect reaches beyond employee satisfaction. They influence the quality and speed of service, the cost of conflict and turnover, the organisation’s ability to learn, employee advocacy and the credibility of its public reputation.
“For that reason, they should be managed as one strategic system with shared leadership responsibility and measurable outcomes.Healthy relationships make cooperation possible. Cooperation makes performance reliable. Mentoring makes competence sustainable. Public Relations makes the system listen, explain and remain accountable,” Prof Dunu averred.
Earlier, the Chairman on the occasion and State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr Emeka Odogwu, the Facilitator, Prof Venatius Agbanu and Prof. Rotimi Oladele encouraged NIPR professional to lead by example and be conscious of time management.
In her vote of thanks, the Chapter Chairman, Dr Ngozi Ulogu appreciated all speakers and participants at the workshop for their respective efforts in making the event a huge success..
