The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, has described Nigeria’s hosting of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) as a major opportunity to reshape the country’s image before the international community.
It also said the forum will promote responsible communication in an era of misinformation, artificial intelligence and social media.
The NIPR President, Ike Neliaku stated this during the World Public Relations Forum Road Show, organised to sensitise Nigerians and build awareness ahead of the global public relations gathering.
The forum, scheduled for November 15 to 21, 2026, in Abuja, has as its theme “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World.” It is being hosted by the NIPR in partnership with the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and will be held alongside the 37th African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference.
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The NIPR President said the road show, which is being taken across different parts of the country, was designed to demonstrate Nigeria’s readiness to host the international event and underscore the importance of public relations to national development.
According to him, “public relations is not merely an occupation but a profession that plays a central role in building and sustaining relationships in society.”
“We are making a bold statement that public relations is a profession. You can go and see them do occupation. You know how they write it: ‘What is your occupation?’ Some will say, ‘I’m a doctor.’ Some will say, ‘I’m this.’ But for public relations, what is your profession? Because we are professionals,” he said.
Neliaku emphasised the universal relevance of public relations, noting that relationships were fundamental to human existence and interaction.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s growing prominence in the global public relations community, particularly with the country’s hosting of the World Public Relations Forum.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the WPRF 2026 National Planning Committee, Suleiman Haruna, said the forum was coming at a time when communication was undergoing rapid transformation because of social media and artificial intelligence.
Haruna said the proliferation of digital platforms had made communication easier but had also created new challenges around misinformation, freedom of expression and information integrity.
He noted that the forum would provide an opportunity for stakeholders from across the world to examine how communication could be used responsibly in the interest of society.
According to Haruna, the challenges surrounding communication were among the reasons the global public relations community would converge on Abuja.
On his part, the Chairman, NIPR FCT Chapter and Director of Public Relations of the Institute, Stanley Ogadigo, said the Forum will help redefine Nigeria’s image.
“This project is very, very significant to Nigeria because, for us, it’s a reputation project for the country. Nigeria has fought very, very hard to win this hosting right.”
He said the simultaneous hosting of the WPRF and APRA conference would further broaden Nigeria’s engagement with the global and African communication communities.
Ogadigo urged Nigerians, corporate organisations and government institutions at all levels to support the event.
“We need to redefine the reputation of Nigeria because we want the reputation of Nigeria to be globally competitive.”
He said the forum, which is bringing together PR communication professionals, government officials, academics, businesses, young people and representatives of international organisations, would use the Abuja gathering to deliberate on the future of the profession.
The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), FCT Command, Dr Olusola Odumosu, said responsible communication was also crucial to the fight against insecurity.
Odumosu warned that the circulation of unverified social media could cause panic and trigger attacks. Citing an example of old videos being presented as current incidents.
He said such messages could create fear and cause citizens to react to incidents that were not actually taking place.
“Such irresponsible communication heats the polity. And, of course, because our people, a lot of them, don’t verify information, people just jump to conclusions that it’s happening, and this has resulted in a lot of chaos”, he said
Odumosu urged Nigerians, particularly young people who are active on social media, to verify information before sharing it.
He described the WPRF theme as timely, stressing that responsible communication had an important role to play in promoting peace and security.
The 2026 WPRF is expected to feature keynote addresses, plenary sessions, academic engagements, cultural programmes, youth activities and discussions involving government, business, academia and international organisations.
The official programme also includes an African Ministers of Information and Communication roundtable focused on responsible communication as a pathway to peace, security and development.
One of the major outcomes expected from the forum is the proposed Abuja Declaration, which will provide a new framework for the public relations profession
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