The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR has called on the National Assembly to amend the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Practitioners’ Act to include the establishment of a legal framework for the practice of lobbying in the country.
Keynote speaker, retired Brigadier General Sani Usman, the Consultant Director of Corporate Affairs and Information at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, proffered the recommendation at the maiden 3-Day workshop of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, in Calabar, Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
Brigadier General Usman, who spoke on the topic ‘Institutionalising Lobbying in Nigeria As Catalyst for National Development’ also recommended that: “the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture should develop a policy framework for lobbying, promoting its principles, transparency and integrity as public relations function in Nigeria.”
Enhancing participations
According to Usman, lobbying plays a significant role in participatory democratic decisions and policymaking in a presidential system of government and has values closely related to freedom of speech and healthy debate.
He noted that western countries like the United States of America and the United Kingdom have for years institutionalised lobbying and employed the services of lobbyists to influence policies, legislations and more.
The PR expert stated that although lobbying was misunderstood in Nigeria, “the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations should push for the recognition and the establishment of lobbying as essential public relations function and draw up a Code of good conduct on lobbying.”
He averred that lobbying has been used in Nigeria by different cultures and societies in varying forms and context, saying “every culture and society practice lobbying.”
He said lobbying is a form of mediation in which individual or groups seeks support for a particular issue to be deliberated by the community or leader to bring about change of mind or favourable disposition in contentious issues towards another party.
Usman said that to serve as a catalyst for national development, lobbying must be integrated as part of legislative decision and policymaking process in Nigeria.
“It will, therefore, be good if Nigeria imbibes the lobbying culture because of its inherent advantages in enhancing democracy alongside the culture of debate and transparency in governance. Adopting standard rules regarding lobbying in Nigeria will no doubt strengthen its practice and institutionalise it,” he stressed.
He adds that there is need to effectively manage and regulate the practice of lobbying as a specialised public relations function in Nigeria, even as no law or legislation could prevent criminally minded persons or groups from abusing lobbying.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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