MODERN PUBLIC RELATIONS IN NIGERIA

Modern Public Relations in Nigeria

The history of organized public relations practice in Nigeria could be linked to that of press relations by the colonial government and multinational companies. Government PR activities began in 1940 during the war period (1939-45) when an office was established in Lagos for propagating war messages through the media. In 1944, the office was renamed government public relations office and acquired the status of a department in 1947.

Regional offices were also set up in Ibadan, Enugu and Kaduna in 1947 under a colonial officer, Mr. Harold Cooper. The department undertook function of a government information office. Ever since, government publicity is being handled by this ministry at both state and federal level. For example, the federal ministry of information operates three publicity divisions, Domestic publicity, public enlightenment and external publicity in addition to the film division of the ministry. The various divisions handle government-press relations, public campaigns and other publicity activities of the government both in and outside the country. Ministry and Prastatals have their individual PR units, in some cases, managed by information officers form the ministry of information.

In the private sector, the multinational company, United African Company (UAC) was credited as the first to start an information office in 1949, with the responsibility of disseminating company information and monitoring public opinion particularly as it affects the UAC. Today, PR units can be found in most government establishments, private enterprises, religious and educational institutions.

According to Offontry (1985:3), public relations activities in Nigeria revolve around eight pillars.

These are:

a) Corporate Relations

b) Government relations

c) Community relations

d) Financial Public relations

e) International Public Relations

f) Media Relations

g) Employee Communication

h) Marketing support

The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR)

The NIPR is the professional body that regulates the practice of public relations in Nigeria. It ensures strict compliance to professional ethics, standardizes training of public relations, conducts professional examination and seminars and importantly bring together all practitioners in the country. Even though the NIPR practitioners like Tonye Willie, Chief Kanu Offontry, Ikhaz Yakubu, Chief Ogboagu, Chief Alex Akinyele and Mike Okereke, it was in 1990 that the federal government promulgated the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Decree 1990.

The decree enables the Institute to accredit all practitioners and bars non-members from practicing PR in Nigeria.

NIPR has a national council with branches in the states. Membership of the Institute can be in any of the following categories. Fellow (FNIPR), member (MNIPR), Associate (AMNIPR), student member, corporate member and Honorary members.

The Institute is affiliated to the Federation of Africa Public Relations Associations (FAPRA) founded in 1975 in Nairobi, Kenya. The federation brings together public relations bodies in individual African countries for the promotion of the profession in the continent.