From July 1, 2015, those who practice public relations in Nigeria without the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR certification, will no longer practice as the Institute has completed modalities to picket organisations across the country who employ, run and maintain PR departments without certified staff.
NIPR National President, Rotimi Oladele, told www.calitown.com in an exclusive interview that the action “will ensure that professionalism is upheld and people and organisations will begin to see the benefits of having properly trained personnel handle PR activities and bring their expertise to bear on the job”. Oladele who spoke while attending the first quarter Mandatory Compulsory Development Programme of the NIPR, further informed that “already we have put together a team of lawyers who are members of the Institute to and they have gone very far in fine tuning the legal framework for this action. I promise you
that it will become increasingly difficult to practice public relations in this country if you remain uncertified with the Institute”.
On the Mandatory Compulsory Development Programme, the NIPR boss disclosed that, the programme is a huge opportunity for PR practitioners to gain additional working knowledge that will help them better discharge their PR functions. “This zonal programme will go a
long way in helping our members keep abreast with modern best practices and with the materials we have put together, that is not in doubt”.
Earlier, while declaring the programme open, CR Information Commissioner, Akin Ricketts, commended the Institute for being alive to her professional responsibilities which he believes will become a leadership pathway for members. He had high praise for the re-engineering that Oladele has midwifed and promised that the state government will partner the Institute in the pursuance of excellence and professionalism. Papers were presented by E. S. Dandaura, chairman, NIPR Education Advisory Board and Andy Iheme of the National Open University of Nigeria, Calabar centre.
