Image Merchants Board Approves Reorganisation, Appointments for Optimum Performance in 2024
The Board of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, has approved robust measures and policies meant to reposition the company in 2024 and beyond.
Image Merchants was declared the Most Creative Public Relations Agency worldwide by the Global Creativity Index (GCI) in 2020. It is also the publisher of Spokespersons’ Digest, Emergency Digest, Tech Digest, Health Digest, and Arewa Agenda, among other publications.
The Board, in its virtual meeting, resolved to change its editorial and commercial modus operandi in the New Year to sustain the company’s status as one of the leading integrated media organisations in Nigeria.
Therefore, the board approved Abdulrahman Abdulraheem’s appointments as Managing Editor and Head of Media and Editorial Services, Sa’ad Shuaib as General Manager, Human Resources and Finance, and Mohammed Dahiru Lawal as Head of Innovation and Special Projects.
In his opening remarks, the Board Chairman, Dr Sule Yau Sule, said the company’s achievements in 2023 called for celebration, adding that IMPR is now a brand name in Public Relations, Development Journalism and Fact-check in Africa and across the globe.
He also noted that the company successfully hosted and organised a series of activities in the year, including the publication of books and research on national security. The company also hosted the Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA), Spokespersons’ Communication Awards (SCA), Arewa Stars Awards (ASA) and the Economic Confidential Summit.
Dr. Sule, however, observed that IMPR’s revenue earnings are not commensurate with its accomplishments, productive programs and projects, adding a need to have a clientele for retainership services.
“We should not continue to operate as a charity organisation like a Father Christmas but as a serious business enterprise where we must earn revenue for our operations. The management should, therefore, work earnestly towards translating goodwill into financial patronage by designing and fixing rates for its services,” Dr Sule added.
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The Deputy Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Yusuf Ali, corroborated the position of the Chairman and stated that the major stakeholders should be converted to clients to benefit from the services of the integrated communication outfit.
“IMPR should develop standard service rates for adverts, special reports and other consultancy services by entering into retainership with governments at all levels and financial institutions in the private sector for clientele. The stakeholders should know that IMPR is in business.”
The Managing Director/CEO of the company, Mallam Yushau A. Shuaib, presented the company’s significant activities and breakthroughs in the year.
He informed the gathering that in addition to its PRNigeria Centre in Abuja and Kano, the company planned to open another office in Ilorin, Kwara State, in the drive to expand its mentorship and advocacy programmes.
“With over 20 staff at our PRNigeria Centres in Abuja and Kano, most of them graduates and certified members of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), we successfully undertook groundbreaking research projects, awareness campaigns, investigative reports and fact-checking.
“Through our capacity building programme, we mentored 34 interns, mostly mass communication students, on practical skills of journalism and PR. In addition, with the support of NITDA and the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism, we trained 109 young people and women on digital tools for communication and other modern skills in 2023 alone.
“Our contributions received a series of partnerships and recognitions. While NIPR approved partnership towards the hosting of National Spokespersons Awards, our company also bagged the African SABRE Award at the Conference of the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA) in Lusaka, Zambia and the Golden World Award of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) in Barcelona, Spain and Certificate of Excellence at World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) in Chennai, India among others.”
Similarly, the MD informed the board that the three-year project with the Wole Soyinka Center for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) with support from the MacArthur Foundation will end in 2024.
Also present at the meeting were Mr Ewache Ajefu (Director), Alhaji Ismailia Sani (Director), Barr. Yunus Abdulrahman (Secretary/Legal Adviser) and Mohammed Dahiru Lawal (IMPR Staff member).
By PRNigeria
