Nigeria is set to host global public relations leaders, policymakers, diplomats, academics, business executives and communication professionals at the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) to be held in Abuja in November.

The week-long gathering, themed “Responsible Communication – The Voice of the World,” will combine high-level discussions on the future of communication with cultural activities, including a Jollof Rice Festival expected to serve about 10,000 people.

President and Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr Ike Neliaku, told members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja yesterday that the forum would bring together communication professionals and policymakers, businesses, institutions and other stakeholders who rely on public relations and strategic communication.

According to him, the broader engagement is expected to contribute to the Abuja Declaration on Responsible Communication – a document aimed at setting a new direction for the global communication profession over the next decade.

He said the discussions would enable stakeholders to identify emerging challenges and develop solutions capable of shaping the profession’s response to changing global realities.

The forum will also feature the 37th African Public Relations Association Conference and an African Ministers of Information Roundtable, alongside high-level dialogues, workshops and masterclasses, with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expected to host the ministers’ roundtable, Neliaku said.

According to him, the proposed Abuja Declaration would also seek to update the principles that have guided the public relations profession since the landmark Mexico 1978 statement, taking into account developments such as artificial intelligence, social media, digital communication and the spread of misinformation.

“It is here that we are going to set the agenda for the next decades of the relevance of our profession to governance, peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and managing issues,” he said.

Meanwhile, the maiden Nigeria Jollof Rice Festival is expected to feed about 10,000 people as part of the forum’s corporate social responsibility initiative.

A seven-hour tailoring pavilion will also allow foreign visitors to have African attire made for them, while exhibitions, entertainment and an experience zone will showcase aspects of Nigerian and African culture.

Welcoming the initiative, the High Commissioner of Cameroun and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Mersole Mellejor, described the theme as timely, particularly against the backdrop of the growing misinformation and fake news.

He said the forum would provide an opportunity for communication leaders, academics and policymakers to examine the role of responsible communication in promoting social cohesion, inclusion, good governance and sustainable development.