Time has come for the issues of the country’s reputation to be taken seriously, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has said, while describing reputation as a core asset.

President and Chairman of NIPR Governing Council, Dr Ike Neliaku, stated this at the opening ceremony of the National Spokespersons Summit organised by the institute, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

With the theme, ‘Change Narratives, Change Society’, the summit was aimed at arming participants, comprising spokespersons from across the public and private sectors, with the right narratives to build the country’s reputation before the international community.

Neliaku, while admitting the challenges facing the country, said adequate attention had not been paid to marketing the country’s areas of strength; an assignment he said would be better carried out by spokespersons.

“Those who have done it before would tell you that reputation is a core asset. The reputation of any nation determines the kind of people it attracts. Therefore, it is time for us to take the issue of reputation very seriously, and the only organisation given the mandate by law of the federation to drive the process of reputation is NIPR,” he stated.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was chief host, said the summit became crucial, considering the need to strengthen the capacities of spokespersons and equip them with the needed skills to craft compelling narratives for national development.