The president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ike Neliaku, has charged 421 newly inducted members to ensure proper projection and effective management of Nigeria’s reputation, image and narratives.

Mr Neliaku gave the charge at the institute’s 2026 first quarter induction ceremony on Thursday in Abuja. According to him, NIPR is not a civil society organisation, a union, or an activist group, but a professional institute guided by scientific principles.

“NIPR is an institute. What that means is that whatever we are doing must be scientific. It must not be based on emotion because in our clime, emotion rules logic.

“Once you do something, you are first of all judged from the perception of emotion. If the message is strong and the messenger is weak, the messenger will corrupt the message,” he said.

Mr Neliaku added, “You can be visible everywhere but not victorious in your context. Eloquence without credibility is a fragile asset; it can easily be punctured.

Mr Neliaku said that public relations practitioners were not merely storytellers but custodians of national integrity, reputation and credibility. He urged practitioners to be proactive and transparent, adding that mistakes should be acknowledged to build trust.

The NIPR president also reviewed recent media engagements involving public officials and highlighted the importance of credibility in shaping public perception.

The NIPR vice-president, Emmanuel Dandaura, reminded the inductees of the profession’s global relevance.

“Being a member of the NIPR, you are also a member not just here, but you are recognised as a peer practitioner in all the countries of Africa and in all the 126 countries that are members of the Global Alliance.

“So you are not just joining a profession in Nigeria, you are being inducted into becoming a global professional in the practice of public relations. This induction is not being done for the glamour and the pictures that you are taking. It is in fulfillment of a legal requirement for you to be accepted as members,” Mr Dandaura said.

(NAN)