By Rahmatullah Mahmud
Omoniyi Ibietan, head of Media Relations at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and African Public Relations Association (APRA), has been elected Secretary-General of APRA at its 35th Annual Conference and General Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Dr. Ibietan, along with President Arik Karani from Kenya and Vice President Dr. Michele Mekeme from Cameroon, will lead APRA’s Executive Council.
Dr. Ibietan pledged to work with the council to advance reforms within APRA, expand participation of national public relations institutions, and collaborate closely with the African Union to prioritize public relations in policy implementation. He emphasized the importance of digital inclusion in public relations, presenting a paper titled ‘Digital Inclusion as Arbiter of Accessible Public Relations: A Case Study of Nigerian Communications Commission’. Using theoretical frameworks and the NCC’s initiatives, he argued that digital inclusion is essential for a digital economy and effective public relations.
APRA, established in 1975, aims to unify Africans and their global allies through standardized public relations practices. The conference, themed ‘One Africa, One Voice: Bridging Africa’s Communication Divide,’ is endorsed by various international PR bodies and the Ivorian government, and includes the IN2SUMMIT and SABRE Awards Africa.