President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, has announced plans to incorporate traditional rulers’ perspectives into global standards for responsible communication, recognising their role in grassroots peacebuilding, policy feedback and community development.
Neliaku disclosed this at the October meeting of the NIPR Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, announcing a special session for traditional rulers at the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) in Abuja.
He said the initiative would inform the proposed Abuja Declaration, positioning Nigeria’s traditional institutions as contributors to international discourse on responsible communication.
“Every traditional ruler is a public relations practitioner because they deal with community relations and peacebuilding, which constitute an essential part of what we do in public relations,” Neliaku said.
He explained that the initiative followed consultations with the institute’s royal ambassadors, including the Etsu Nupe, His Royal Highness (Dr.) Yahaya Abubakar, who serves as coordinating royal ambassador.
Neliaku described the proposed declaration as a major opportunity for Nigeria to contribute to the evolution of global public relations practice, referencing the 1978 Mexico Statement as an earlier international milestone.
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“It is now 48 years later. And Nigeria, your Nigeria, will now give the world another declaration,” he said.
He noted that practitioners from Australia, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries had contributed to developing the document.
Neliaku also announced that NIPR had again been named the world’s best public relations institute, following its reported 2025 achievement, in a report from the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management.
“It’s not for us to rest. It is for us to keep riding high,” he said.
Governance and Development Partners
The Etsu Kwali, His Royal Highness Luka Ayedoo Nizassan, reinforced the case for traditional rulers’ inclusion, describing strategic communication as indispensable to effective leadership in Nigeria’s culturally diverse society.
He said traditional institutions occupy a distinctive position between government and citizens, communicating public policies to communities while articulating grassroots needs and providing feedback to policymakers.
“Professional, responsible, and strategic communication is very important in holding these fabrics together,” the monarch said.
He described traditional rulers as dual advocates who help government explain and implement policies while conveying citizens’ experiences and concerns back to the authorities.
“We are dual advocates for government by mainstreaming their policies in the communities we find ourselves and also providing feedback for their policies,” he said.
Beyond communication, the monarch highlighted traditional institutions’ growing role in community mobilisation, resource mobilisation and collective development, arguing that effective governance requires citizens to participate actively in improving their communities.
“We are raising communities to understand that government is not responsible for everything,” he said.
He added that traditional rulers could help government assess policy outcomes because they witness the practical effects of interventions at the grassroots.
The Etsu Kwali congratulated NIPR on its efforts to manage Nigeria’s international reputation, acknowledging the challenges of communicating the country’s image to global audiences.
Responding, Neliaku commended the monarch’s engagement with the institute and announced that the NIPR Council had approved his membership, with induction scheduled for December 5.
The proposed WPRF session highlights the development value of connecting professional communication with traditional governance, strengthening the channels through which public policies are understood, community priorities are heard and grassroots participation is translated into collective action.
