UNILAG Student Emerges Winner of NECCI PR Essay Contest

By Barakat Lawal

A 400-level student in the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Daniel Nnam, has emerged as the winner of the NECCI Public Relations essay contest, winning a cash prize of N250,000.

Nnam was announced as the winner of the essay competition, during the 25th edition of the NECCI PR roundtable held on October 23, 2025, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He won the contest, defeating 24 other contestants across five higher institutions in Nigeria.

A student of Covenant University, Baba-Enoch Temitope, clinched her spot as the first runner-up, with a cash prize of 150,000 naira and a student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Tomiwa Oyegunle emerged as the second runner-up, with a cash prize of 100,000 naira.

In an interview with UNILAG Sun, Nnam noted that his love for challenges and passion for PR inspired him to participate in the competition.

He recounted that understanding the scope of the topic was a significant challenge for him during the essay contest period.

“I faced one major challenge, and that was trying to understand the topic. The topic was quite broad and I was finding it hard to bring my creativity. I am a creative writer, and I needed to bring my creativity into writing. But the topic was so broad and too linear,” he said.

Speaking about clinching the top position, he said, “I was surprised and it felt really good. We had students from Caleb University, OOU and I was privileged to come out first.

He urged students never to doubt themselves or try to suppress their creativity

This year’s edition, themed “The Ethics of Governance: Shaping Reputation Through Public Relations,” delved into the key strategies and actions that both public and private sectors must adopt to build and maintain a credible and resilient national reputation.

Speaking on the theme, the Minister of Information, Mohammad Idris, represented by Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, stressed that ethics, transparency, and truth are the cornerstones of effective public communication.

He commended Nigeria’s PR industry for upholding ethical standards and called on professionals to align with the President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, by becoming champions of integrity and national development.

Idris warned that without ethical communication, Nigeria’s reputation, both domestically and internationally, remains at risk.

Dr. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, Convener of the NECCI PR Roundtable, noted that as Nigeria faces increasing complexity, the forum is advocating for PR practitioners to go beyond image management and embrace the role of ethical leadership and sustainable development drivers.

“This silver jubilee edition is more than a milestone celebration,” she said.

“It reaffirms our commitment to promoting ethical governance and enhancing Nigeria’s image on the global stage.”

Distinguished guests of speakers included, John Momoh, Chairman of Channels TV; Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/ CEO of NiDCOM; and Nkiru Olumide- Ojo, Executive Head of Regional Marketing and Communication at Standard Bank Group.

Other dignitaries, such as Yakubu Lamai, Femi Adesina, Tokunboh George-Taylor, Alice Ajeh, among others, also lent their voices to advancing ethical governance across all levels in Nigeria.