February 16, 2025
Vunoklang, Hayin Gada, Off Mubi Road, jimeta - Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria
All

NIPR Calls for Professional Certification to Enhance PR Practice in Adamawa

By: Gloria Abutu

 

Public Relations practitioners have been urged to obtain training and certification to ensure professionalism and improve the image of the practice in the country.

 

The Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Adamawa state chapter, Usman Ahmed Dadah, made the call in an interview with Fombina FM, Yola.

 

Usman Ahmed Dadah explained that public relations involve image building, branding, reputation, and crisis management for individuals, companies, institutions, and government entities.

“Public relations is a liberal organization. It is not about propaganda. Public relations is not about abusing opponents or oppositions. Public relations is not about telling lies. Public relations is about truth,” he stressed.

 

He emphasized the institute’s commitment to promoting peace and harmony in the country while enhancing Nigeria’s image globally.

 

Dadah described the media as a vital tool for public relations practice and encouraged journalists appointed as spokespersons to register with the institute to prevent quackery.

 

According to him, “Many of our journalists are the ones who have been appointed as spokespersons. And that’s why we call on them to take the opportunity and become members of the NIPR, even before they are appointed. Every single journalist is a potential member of the NIPR. So if you are a Press Secretary or a spokesperson, you need to have public relations techniques.”

 

Dadah highlighted that membership in the NIPR is simple and open to all but stressed that only professionals should be engaged as image makers to prevent abuse.

 

He said, “If you are a graduate of Mass Communication, Journalism, or relevant courses, then come directly after your NYSC and obtain our form or download it from our website and fill it in, submit to the State Secretariat for endorsement. Then we send it to our headquarters for the membership committee to invite you and screen you. The moment we find you suitable, you are going to be made a member after an induction.”

 

“But if you are in practice of public relations and you are not a graduate of Mass Communication, Journalism, public relations, and so forth, then you just undergo the masterclass. The masterclass is not that long. The essence of the masterclass is to enable our professionals to train you, to drill you, to equip you with skills about public relations,” he added.

 

The Chairman pointed out that as part of the institute’s Diamond anniversary celebration, the NIPR recently inducted over 600 members and organized various activities including tree-planting campaigns, lectures, courtesy visits, media discussions, exhibitions among other programmes, to boost the institute’s visibility.

 

He also noted that the Federal Government recently approved the caderisation of public relations in the civil service to improve the practice nationwide.

“If you join the civil service as a graduate, you can rise or move forward to becoming a director in the civil service and even becoming the permanent secretary.”

“A circular has been sent to all states to ensure that all Information Officers in the Ministries of Information and Local Governments have been rechristened Information and Public Relations Officers. This means their roles have been uplifted.”

Dadah solicited a robust relationship with the state government and appealed for the commitment of members to advance the institute’s progress in Adamawa state.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *