Experts move to secure future of PR practice in Nigeria

A panel of communication experts in Nigeria recently held a discourse on the future of the Public Relations (PR) and Communications profession at the 2023 AfricaNXT.

The event, which featured a session on ‘Collaborations and Growth Opportunities in the Future of PR’, was organised by NOVVA Media and Communications and held at Landmark Events Centre, Lagos.

The panelists included Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Eco Bank Nigeria, Jide Sipe; Principal Consultant at Pandora Agency Limited, Kehinde Ruth Onasoga; Ag. Head of Communications, Stakeholders Management and Promotions at Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Taiye Tunkarimu and Communication and Sustainability Lead at Unilever Nigeria, Gregory Adejumoh.

The founder of NOVVA Media and Communications, Adaoha Njemanze, who explained the ideology behind the session said: “The public relations and communications profession is continually evolving. When practitioners come together in a setting like this, discussing significant trends, growth prospects and professional networking is crucial because it is a sector with endless opportunities.

Thus, it has become necessary to have these dialogues consistently.”
On his part, Jide Sipe highlighted how content is now referred to as the new oil when speaking to the audience.
“The strength of public relations in perception management has historically been based on several strategies. Still the future of PR depends on how well brands can connect with their target audiences and demonstrates this by taking the initiative to communicate with them. Public relations professionals must use alternative strategies in a social media-dominated environment to encourage activities on both old and new channels,” he said.

Onasoga, however, urged organisations to be more deliberate with their internal communications and see it as a very relevant factor for growth in her discourse on the ‘Future of Public Relations’. She also urged transparency in communications because internal stakeholders are the most significant brand ambassadors.

Regarding the need for collaboration within the industry, Godfrey Adejumoh, emphasised that agencies and communication professionals now more than ever require one another to integrate further and obfuscate the boundaries between diversity, expertise and experience. He said that collaboration is essential for public relations professionals to be influential and develop long-lasting careers.

In addition to the topic of collaboration, Tunkarimu noted that most businesses need the help of customers and other companies to thrive. She gave an example of how partnerships between the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have helped to create wealth, market visibility and employment possibilities.

The panel discussion follows BusinessDay Limited’s recognition of NOVVA Media and Communications as one of the top 100 fastest-growing SMEs at their annual event recently.