2026 WPRF: NIPR Takes Nigeria’s Reputation Campaign to Streets
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Chapter, has taken its responsible communication campaign to the streets of Abuja ahead of the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF).
The chapter carried out a road show on Saturday to sensitise residents to the global forum, which is scheduled to hold in Abuja from Nov. 15 to 21 under the theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World.”
The forum is expected to bring together communication professionals and other stakeholders from around the world.
Speaking during the exercise, Chairman of the FCT chapter, Stanley Ogadigo, described the WPRF as an important opportunity for Nigeria to reshape its image before the international community.
“This project is very significant to Nigeria because, for us, it’s a reputation project for the country. The country has fought very hard to win this hosting right,” he said.
Ogadigo, who is also NIPR’s Director of Public Relations, said the forum would provide an opportunity for Nigeria to tell its story to a global audience and promote a more competitive national reputation.
“We are very glad that 126 countries of the world will be coming to Abuja in Nigeria for the WPRF; that is a big deal. This is the moment that Nigeria needs to seize to really tell her story,” he said.
He said the 2026 WPRF would be the first time Nigeria would host the global forum and the second time it would be held in Africa, after South Africa hosted it in 2007.
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The WPRF will also take place alongside the 37th Annual General Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), bringing two major gatherings of communication professionals to Nigeria.
Ogadigo said the focus on responsible communication was particularly important at a time when misinformation, harmful narratives and other forms of irresponsible communication were contributing to social tensions.
Also speaking, Chairman of the National Planning Committee for WPRF 2026, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, said the rapid growth of social media and artificial intelligence had created new challenges for information integrity.
He acknowledged the right of people to express themselves but said such freedom should not be exercised at the expense of others.
“It’s a constitutional right for people to express themselves, but unfortunately, your rights should not smear the rights of the next person. Where your rights stop is where another person’s starts,” Haruna said.
He said the increasing misuse of social media and emerging technologies had made it necessary for stakeholders to develop better approaches to responsible communication and information integrity.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people have lost that and they are abusing that privilege of freedom and causing problems everywhere, especially now with the arrival of AI,” he said.
Haruna said the WPRF would provide a platform for global stakeholders to discuss these challenges and develop practical approaches to responsible communication.
The 2026 WPRF is hosted by the NIPR in partnership with the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and is expected to attract more than 3,000 delegates from 126 countries.
The Abuja road show is part of wider awareness activities ahead of the forum as Nigeria prepares to host communication professionals and stakeholders from across the world.
