Join NIPR to be accredited public relations practitioner, President APRA advises

By Favour Michael and Maryam Dauda

Students who want to be legally recognised public relations practitioners should join the National Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, president of the Africa Public Relations Association (APRA), advised at the recent conference of the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON).

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is one of the many major professional bodies in the field of communication in Nigeria. It is empowered to register public relations practitioners, regulate the practice and development of the public relations profession, and monitor professional conduct through an established code of ethics.

During the 3rd International Conference Meeting of the Association of Media and Communication Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON), Badejo-Okusanya educated students who have interest in becoming Public Relations practitioners.

He said, “Public Relations is more of the sciences than art, seen as a logical and analytical process that should be approached with commitment, not levity as an upcoming Public Relations (PR) practitioner, you have to be knowledgeable and committed. Learning strategy is crucial, and to understand strategy, one must grasp logic and analysis.”.

According to Badejo, passion and consistency are a major part of any public relations practitioner’s success. “Don’t waver; get the work done. I wanted to be a public relations practitioner, and now I am one. I eat and breathe PR, acting as an evangelist, preaching the gospel of PR wherever it is required”, he said.

The PR guru stated that by Decree 16 of 1990, it is unlawful to practise Public relations without NIPR registration because public relations is an act of national defence, whether under corporate communications or public affairs.

Badejo confirmed that membership is open to everyone, especially for mass communication students whose qualification for student membership is automatic. Student membership is open to all those who, at the time of application, are studying for an NIPR qualification or any of the approved qualifications.

Visit the NIPR website for membership requirements: https://nipr.org.ng/index.php/membership/16-static-articles/site-pages/membership