The inductees were drawn from the government and private media organisations including the four Federal Government media houses – NAN, NTA, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Voice of Nigeria (VON).
The ceremony attracted four former Ministers of Information – Mr Chukwuemeka Chikelu, Mr Frank Nweke, Mr Labaran Maku and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, with Chikelu bagging NIPR Honourary Fellowship.
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President of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, urged the inductees to always differentiate between Public Relations (PR) and propaganda.
“This is the 2nd NIPR Special Diamond Anniversary Induction for Media and Allied Practitioners and we are doing this today because we believe that the institute has a very strategic role to play in nation building.
“No matter how tough the situation is with nations like the U.S., they have a way of bouncing back, because they understand not only the realities, but the narratives to push forward; this is what we are trying to teach our people in Nigeria.
“We have not been able to tell our stories in the best way that will show clearly that we are one of the best nations on earth; give Nigerians opportunities anywhere in the world, they will excel.
“We must resist being blackmailed; recently, a controversy started and some people want NIPR to speak; we are not speaking to you guys, we are reputation leaders and perception managers.
“We don’t just jump into the grave for us to speak, there must be a basis,” he said.
According to Neliaku, the institute will create a platform of interaction where former ministers of Information and National Orientation will engage and brainstorm with some PR experts on best ways to constantly push narratives for the country.
“We cannot have this body of knowledge in the house and we don’t take advantage of them. We must hear from them because knowledge is a resource. Information is an asset that we must always hold onto.”
The NIPR president said that a perception index would now be introduced and used to gauge the perception and the vision of the country’s leaders.
“The first time we used it, most of the leaders scored zero. They did well in the area of sensitive analysis but when it came to reputation analysis, they were disabled.
“And we must publish it. Some are saying, why are you going into controversy? Sometimes, the way to perfection is to determine the controversy.
“Government is interested in this thing to see how their vision and their perception will relate.”
Former Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who highlighted some of the negative side of social media, urged journalists to utilise the Freedom of Information Act to promote public relations.
“A lot of people are still not using it, especially journalists. It was so difficult in those days to get public information but now, we have a law that enables media citizens to go to the government and seek information as a matter of rights.
“I believe NIPR, NUJ and other professional organisations will be able to take advantage of this to increase public communication and to know what is going on in the society and in the polity.
“Communication is the most important aspect of our society and the most important aspect of human life; everything we do is for communication.”
He urged the media to be in the forefront of uniting the various ethnic groups in the country rather than allow the misinformation that usually circulates in the social media.
Maku also urged journalists to always cross-check their facts to avoid communications pitfalls.
The event saw the NIPR leadership sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the management of DAAR Communications, on Public Relations matters.
