Remembering the ‘Finest Day of NIPR’: The Journey so far, Matters Arising

Remembering the ‘Finest Day of NIPR’: The Journey so far, Matters Arising
By Dr. Princewell Achor

The piece does not refer specifically to what transpired at the just concluded annual general meeting(AGM) of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) or about the intense horse-trading and myriad of rhetoric that heralded the Council election.  However, issues in the manifestoes of candidates who contested for Council membership/position and discussions that trailed them will help to reevaluate some aspects of the topic.

From the twilight days of NIPR to its present period of expansionism, is a journey of intense transitioning. Twilight days marked the period when NIPR was founded by Dr. Sam Epelle in 1963 to the period it struggled to gain recognition and legal backing. During this period, the following past Presidents of the Institute: Dr Sam Epelle(1963-1968), Chief Kanu Offonry (1968-1972), Tonye Willie Harry (1972-1976), Alhaji Ikhaz Yakubu (1976-1980), Chief Bob Ogbuagu (1980-1984), Chief  Alex Akinyele (1984-1988), Mazi Mike Okereke (1988-1993), made remarkable achievements and tried to reposition NIPR during their regimes. They weathered the storms, and when the storms were over; they had laid a solid foundation for a continual transition for the body.

Then came the finest day of the NIPR; the day the struggles of our heroes’ past (Sam Epelle and other presidents after him) paid off. It was a day that birthed hope and the future of NIPR and Public Relations practice in Nigeria. That day was the 1st of June 1990; it was referred to as the finest day by Mazi Mike Okereke, the then president of the Institute because it was the day Decree No. 16 of 1990 that recognized NIPR as a chartered professional body was signed. Schedule 4, section 10(1) (c) stipulates the accepted minimum qualification for registration of practitioners. This Decree is now an Act of the National Assembly. According to Mazi Mike Okereke, the promulgation of the decree was a feat achieved by NIPR and worth celebrating. Indeed this feat heralded the massification of Public Relations education in the universities and polytechnics, including the endowment of a Chair for the first-ever Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. The endowment of the academic chair aims to pursue high professional and academic training in Public Relations. Presently, the Institute prides itself on the highly prestigious Professional Diploma that compares with similar certifications in Nigeria and abroad.

The Journey so far!

Before the promulgation of decree No.16 of 1990, Public Relations practice in Nigeria was an all-comers field where both professionals and charlatans went into practice. The decree served as a template for the furtherance and regulation of Public Relations practice, including the NIPR By-laws, code of conduct and ethics. It assumed that from the ‘finest day era’ to the ‘great enlightenment period’ pioneered by Okereke and other presidents (Alhaji Sabo Mohammed 1993 – 1998, Chief Jibade Oyekan 1998 – 2001, Senebo Bobo Brown   2001 – 2005,), noticeable or empirical evidence of progress was made. Yes, a lot was achieved by the ‘post finest day period’ presidents and their Council members, but more inroads have also been made by the past presidents (Professor Ike Nwosu 2005 – 2009,  Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi  2009 – 2013, Dr. Rotimi Oladele  2013 – 2018, Mallam  Mukhtar Sirajo  2018 – 2023) of the present expansionist era. A lot of strategic thinking and public relations strategies have been deplored by the institute in tackling some of the security and economic challenges confronting Nigeria. PR Summit on security challenges in Nigeria is a testament that NIPR is not aloof to the national issues. However, it is still a challenge for the Institute to craft better strategies to market Nigeria as a global brand, perhaps due to encumbrances within the Nigerian political and economic environments.

Globally, Public Relations practice is still evolving due to the impact of globalization and advancement in information communication technologies. These two factors have redefined the global Public Relations media landscape and communication ecology. I am glad that the crop of Public Relations professionals at the helms of affairs of NIPR both at the national and state levels has aligned with the global trends.  I have also experienced the quality of work accomplished by major private-sector industry players and stakeholders. Their counterparts in government establishments are also making significant inroads in various aspects of Public Relations practice. The values and goals of the Institute have not been achieved, however, the vision of promoting or instilling excellence and professionalism in the conduct of its affairs and by extension PR practitioners in Nigeria is still a work in progress viz-a-viz the quest to consolidate or strengthen its chartered status.  The Institute has made significant progress on membership drive and created awareness of its mandate to regulate Public Relations practice, but a lot more needs to be done.

Matters Arising and the Way Forward

The crux of this commentary is not to highlight the achievements of NIPR over the years but to take us through a guided examination of some observations that had impacted negatively on its status as a chartered professional body, respected by similar professional bodies and to make suggestions on how to improve on the reputation of the institute and its mandate to regulate Public Relations practice.

One of the factors that have impacted negatively on the chartered status of NIPR is its mode of registering and admitting practitioners.  In schedule 4, section 10(1) (c) of decree No. 16 of 1990 that recognized NIPR as a chartered professional body the accepted minimum qualification for registration of practitioners is stipulated.

The last option in the list of the minimum qualification is where the problem lies. The Council is given the option to prescribe from time to time any other ways or qualifications for admitting practitioners into the institute. In as much as the Institute wants to mop up not-qualified persons practising public relations or integrate them into the body, it behoves the council to recommend better ways to absorb this category of persons. Yes, there is the mandatory continuous development programme (MCDP) which specifically serves two purposes: to equip members with required skills and to move up from one category of membership to another. The idea of MCDP is good and is an improvement to what existed before its introduction, but I think this is not enough. A more professionally or academically inclined method is better. The newly elected President and Council should review the process of registering or admitting members, particularly prospective members who do not meet the minimum qualifications stipulated in Schedule 4, section 10(1) (c) of decree No. 16 of 1990. It will be more honourable to for those that fall within the stated category to write and pass the Institute’s professional Diploma examinations or any other prescribed certification examinations before their induction into NIPR.

The new President and Chairman of the Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku promised in his election campaign to establish Public Relations University, the first of its kind in Africa.  This is a tall dream but realizable. This is the time to walk the talk. However, it is important to inform the President and his team that NIPR in 1992 endowed a Chair, Master of Science degree in Public Relations at the University of Nigeria Nsukka. That programme needs to be supported while we wait for the establishment of a novel Public Relations University. Since the demise of Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu, the pioneer coordinator of that programme, and also a past president of NIPR, that programme has not received adequate attention from NIPR. The NIPR needs to revitalize the endowment by making funds available to the school and by playing an oversight function in the updating of the curricula. Before the demise of Professor Nwosu, the Department of Marketing where the MSc programme is domiciled had introduced a PhD programme in Public Relations; the programme is waxing strong. NIPR can also extend its endowment to the PhD programme or better still institute a prize for the best PhD dissertation or give a scholarship to the overall candidate with the best professional Diploma results of the institute to proceed to Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) and possibly transit to M.Sc programme.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is making sure members of the institute employed in government establishments, ministries, departments and agencies are part of the dominant coalition in those organizations. Experience and research have shown that Public Relations practitioners in various MDAs perform advisory roles instead of decision-making roles. The relevance of Public Relations can only be understood when practitioners occupy top management positions. As part of a dominant coalition, they make input on policy decisions taken by organizations. Informing the heads of the MDAs about this development is not enough; a concerted effort must be taken by the institute to address the anomaly.

Wrong cadre placement of candidates with the institute’s professional Diploma in public service is another area the president and council should look into. I learnt from some of the Public Relations WhatsApp groups I belong, that, candidates with minimum entry qualification in addition to possessing the institute’s Professional Diploma are not given the right entry level in the civil service, unlike their counterparts with similar certifications from other professional bodies.

Conclusion
There are other challenges the President and the Council need to confront, but the few ones mentioned here needs urgent attention. According to a Chinese proverb, the right time to plant a tree was thirty years ago and the second time to do that is now. This is the time to hit the ground running and begin to walk their talk as promised in their election campaigns. Remarkably, the council membership is a mixed breed, comprising industry practitioners, members of the academia, and government representatives. I would like to see this inclusivity, diversity and gender friendliness utilised for the benefits of the institute. Each stratum of the council membership is expected to bring innovative ideas that will transform NIPR and strengthen its status as a chartered professional body we all desire and proud of.

My advice to the new President and his team is to go all-out and shoulder the enormous responsibilities, align your modus operandi with the institute’s vision of excellence and professionalism, which remain the hallmark of Public Relations practice.

Dr. Princewell Achor is a PR practitioner