NIPR Launches World’s First Public Relations University 2026

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Nigeria is on the path of becoming a global super power in the public relations eco-system, as the nation will, in 2026, be home to the world’s first University of Public Relations and Leadership.

This was disclosed by the national president and chairman of council, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, at the opening of the Rivers public relations week on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

According to Neliaku, the university, which he said would be launched next year, would be a training ground for public relations practitioners in Nigeria and Africa, thus helping to fill a gap he said was affecting leadership in the country and beyond.

“The university will train people on public relations. Leadership failure because they don’t understand public relations. The nexus between public relations and leadership is profound but is not well managed,” he noted.

Stressing the importance of stakeholder engagement and public trust in facilitating development, the NIPR president also revealed the establishment of the Nigeria Reputation Management Board and the introduction of Nigeria Reputation Day celebration on every October 15, and thanked the federal government for making public relations a career profession.

In her speech, the Rivers State Head of Service (HoS), De Inyingi Brown, who represented Governor Siminalayi Fubara, announced the state government has decided to domesticate the public relations career profession policy of the federal government in order to add value to public service.

The Rivers Head of Service said the state governor believed in truth and accountability-based public sector communication and engagement.

“The governor (Siminalayi Fubara) believes that in times like this, truth, transparency and accountability must be the foundation of all communications in the public sector. His Excellency believes that governance must be people – focused,” she said.

In his address, the managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, said the Commission had built a sustainable, transparent system that enabled it to work in line with global best practices, part of which was to create partners for sustainable development to facilitate the implementation of the Niger development master plan.

Represented by the Commission’s director of corporate affairs, Mrs. Thompson Wakama, Ogbuku said: “Addressing economic challenges in the Niger Delta requires stakeholder engagement and NDDC is exploring this”, adding that the NDDC was ready to partner with NIPR to achieve sustainable development.

Earlier, chairman of the occasion, Leslie Eke, a first-class traditional ruler in Rivers State, thanked the Rivers chapter of NIPR for organizing the annual event.

Francis Asuk, chairman of the Rivers State Chapter, in his welcome address, said strategic communication was central to peace building and governance hence the time had come for leaders to engage professional public relations practitioners in managing and communicating through sensitive issues.

“The expertise of PR professionals in stakeholder mapping, perception management, conflict resolution and narrative framing can make a crucial difference in restoring confidence, bridging divides and shaping a more stable and progressive Rivers State.

This year’s theme, Refocusing Stakeholder Engagement and Public Trust in a Challenging Economy, could not have been more appropriate,” he said.