Minister Inaugurates NIPR Governing Board, Vows Collaboration to Drive Renewed Hope Agenda
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has expressed his unwavering determination to collaborate closely with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in crafting communication strategies that will drive the transformative vision encapsulated in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
Idris made the remarks in Abuja on Tuesday while inaugurating the Governing Council of the NIPR.
“As a professional and a Fellow of the Institute, I fully understand the importance of reputation and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is determined to partner with the NIPR to design communication strategies that will drive the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.
“I must say that I am impressed with the initiatives and programmes of the current Council led by Dr. Ike Neliaku, as contained in a document presented to me earlier before this event. I firmly believe that if well implemented, they have the potential to transform both the Institute and the country into a global reputational hub,” he said.
The Minister, who tasked the NIPR with the responsibility of repairing and rejuvenating Nigeria’s image on the global stage, said reputation is one of the key pillars in nation building and plays strategic roles in development of any nation.
The Minister said part of the challenges Nigeria is currently facing is what he termed ‘reputation deficit’ caused by wrong perception of the country at the global arena.
“This is a sad phenomenon and as professionals, we must find practical public relations solutions to reclaim our damaged reputational asset. Other nations also have their difficulties, but the difference is in how the issues are managed with nuance and context, and this is usually achieved through a robust partnership between government, professional groups like the NIPR and the citizens,” he said.
The Minister, who is a Fellow of the Institute, used the occasion to assure Nigerians that the Government is strongly committed to ensuring a greater and prosperous Nigeria for all citizens.
Idris said embedded inside the tough and radical economic reforms of President Tinubu are the seeds of the sustainable prosperity and development that Nigeria deserves, while also appealing for time and patience among Nigerians in order to reap the benefits of the reforms in the long run.
“The present administration has recorded appreciable successes in some key areas of the economy within the short period in office, and we remain committed to comprehensive reforms that will change the nation’s development narrative for good,” he said.
The Minister extolled the foresight of the founding fathers of the Institute in conceiving the idea 60 years ago, which has been elevated it to an enviable chartered status and places the NIPR among the very few professional bodies in the world with such level of government recognition.
Idris, who charged the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the NIPR to deepen the work of professionalizing the Institute and acting within the provisions of the enabling laws to end quackery in the profession, stressed that activities of quacks in all sectors is affecting the reputation of the country, negatively.
Rabiu Ibrahim
Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and National Orientation
January 16, 2024
ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, ALH. MOHAMMED IDRIS MALAGI, FNIPR AT THE INAUGURATION OF NIPR COUNCIL MEMBERS ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024, AT THE SANDRALIA HOTEL, SOLOMON LAR WAY, ABUJA.
Protocol
Let me begin by welcoming you all to the inauguration of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), elected on the 25th August, 2023, at a well-attended Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Institute held here in Abuja.
This inauguration would have taken place earlier than now, but as you may recall, the election took place about the same time I took over the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Settling down to the duties of my office became a matter that needed full concentration. This explains the delay in performing this statutory function of the Minister of Information. It was not intentional, but exigencies of office.
What we are doing today is in line with the provisions of the Act, CAP N114, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that established the Institute as the nation’s only professional body charged with the responsibility to regulate the practice and development of public relations in both private and public sectors in Nigeria.
Permit me therefore, to express my profound gratitude to the founding fathers of the Institute for their foresight and initiative of birthing the idea 60 years ago, and more importantly, their effort in elevating it to an enviable chartered status, which places the NIPR among the very few professional bodies in the world with such level of government recognition.
Reputation is one of the key pillars in nation building and plays strategic roles in development of any nation. Part of the challenges of our nation today is what could be termed ‘reputation deficit’ caused by wrong perception of Nigeria at the global arena.
This is a sad phenomenon and as professionals, we must find practical public relations solutions to reclaim our damaged reputational asset. Other nations also have their difficulties, but the difference is in how the issues are managed with nuance and context, and this is usually achieved through a robust partnership between government, professional groups like the NIPR and the citizens.
As a professional and a Fellow of the Institute, I fully understand the importance of reputation and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation is determined to partner with the NIPR to design communication strategies that will drive the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration.
I must say that I am impressed with the initiatives and programmes of the current Council led by Dr. Ike Neliaku, as contained in a document presented to me earlier before this event. I firmly believe that if well implemented, they have the potential to transform both the Institute and the country into a global reputational hub.
To all Nigerians, may I use this medium to assure that the Federal Government is strongly committed to ensuring a greater and better Nigeria for all citizens. Yes, the current economic reality is not without its challenges; but I can also boldly say that embedded inside the tough and radical economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are the seeds of the sustainable prosperity and development that Nigeria deserves. It may take some time and patience, but I have no doubt that we will see and enjoy the benefits of these sacrifices in due course.
Let us strive to support the leadership across board and promote the nation’s core values of patriotism, integrity, hard work, love, unity, professionalism, culture of excellence, among others.
The present administration has recorded appreciable successes in some key areas of the economy within the short period in office, and we remain committed to comprehensive reforms that will change the nation’s development narrative for good.
As a responsible government, we are deeply concerned about improving the welfare of Nigerians. We are also very concerned about the perception of our country by the international community, and would like to call on all Nigerians to be conscious of all actions and activities within and outside the shores of the country that might portray the country in bad light.
Now, to the Governing Council that I am about to inaugurate, I charge you to deepen the work of professionalizing the Institute and acting within the provisions of the enabling laws to end quackery in the profession.
This is important because the activities of quacks in all sectors affect the reputation of the country, negatively. Let us build the legacy of sound reputation for Nigeria and open the doors of socio-economic opportunities for our nation.
Section 4 of NIPR Professional Act, 2004 states,
“(1) There shall be, as the governing body of the Institute, a Council which shall be charged with the administration and general management of the Institute.
(2) The Council shall consist of the president and vice president as Chairman and vice chairman respectively, and a total of twenty other persons being fellows, members or associate members of the Institute, that is
(a) five persons appointed by the Minister; all of whom shall be persons engaged in the practice of public relations in Nigeria, and
(b) fifteen persons elected by the by the Institute …”.
It is now my honour and pleasure to inaugurate the 2023-2025 Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. As members of Council, I charge you to:
i. promote professionalism and excellence amongst members of the Institute;
ii. partner with the governments at federal, state and local levels to contribute to the growth and development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;
iii. use the very rich body of knowledge in the Institute to create and come up with relevant programmes and activities to promote the understanding of the 8 point agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration; and
iv. deepen the penetration of public relations practice in critical sectors of Nigeria to deliver value and enhance it relevance;
v. deploy your expertise in building the reputational capital of Nigeria, to be domestically relevant and globally competitive;
vi. harvest, enable and teach young Nigerians to believe and renew hope in the country, and channel their energies and talents to promote the best interest of the nation; and
vii. to ensure that the practice of public relations in Nigeria is in line with provisions of the law that established it.
My doors are always open to help you succeed in your duties. I wish you well.
May I now invite the Immediate Past President of the Institute, Malam Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo, fnipr and the President of African Public Relations Association, Chief Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, fnipr to join me to formally decorate the 15th President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr. Ike Neliaku, fnipr.
Thank you and God bless.
One more photo below.
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