The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has unveiled the 2026 Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LAPRIGA), with a renewed commitment to celebrating innovation, originality, excellence and measurable influence across the communication ecosystem.

Addressing journalists in Lagos recently, Chairman of Lagos NIPR, Samuel Ayetutu, noted innovation is no longer about doing something new, but engaging in something differently, intelligently and meaningfully, in ways that solve problems, create value and deliver measurable impact.

Themed, ‘Redefining innovation and influence,’ Ayetutu observed influence in today’s communication environment is no longer determined by the size of an organisation’s media budget or visibility in traditional media, but increasingly earned through credibility, relevance, authenticity, engagement and the ability to shape conversations.

He added that Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, social listening, automation and other emerging technologies are fundamentally transforming how practitioners research, create, distribute and measure communication.

Chairman of the LAPRIGA 2026 Awards Selection Committee, Dare Ogunyombo, explained that the awards would place strong emphasis on strategic thinking, creativity, execution and measurable impact, rather than visibility alone.

He added the expanded categories were designed to recognise excellence across the increasingly diverse communication ecosystem.

On his part, Chairman of the LaPRIGA 2026 Planning and Fund-Raising Committee, Tope Akande, disclosed that the committee has been working diligently to ensure the event becomes the best edition of the awards so far, with careful attention being paid to planning, stakeholder engagement, partnerships, guest experience and the overall delivery of the event.

A major highlight of LAPRIGA 2026 is the introduction of new and expanded award categories designed to reflect the breadth and changing realities of contemporary public relations and communication practice.

The awards will recognise outstanding achievements across areas including PR Agency of the Year, Public Service PR Campaign of the Year, Brand PR Campaign of the Year, PR Excellence in Issues and Crisis Management, Best Innovative Technology Deployment in PR, Most Influential PR Professional of the Year.

Best Workplace Development PR Initiative, Community Relations Excellence, Sustainability PR and Communication, PR Educator (Tertiary) of the Year and PR Trainer (Professional Development) of the Year, among others.

There will also be honorary recognitions, including the Lagos PR Personality of the Year and Lifetime PR Contribution Award, celebrating individuals whose sustained contributions have advanced the profession.

Entries will be assessed across key areas including, strategy and objectives, creativity and innovation, execution and implementation, and impact and measurement.

The selection framework also recognises emerging areas of practice, including the innovative deployment of technology and Artificial Intelligence in public relations, crisis management, sustainability communication, community relations, workplace communication, professional education and thought leadership.

The organisers announced that entries for LAPRIGA 2026 will open on August 31 2026, and close on 30 September 30 2026.

The awards will consider PR and marketing communication campaigns, activities and programmes initiated and concluded between October 1 2025 and September 30 2026.
The event is scheduled to hold on December 11, 2026, at the Muson Centre Onikan, Lagos.