ABUJA/Nigeria: In a proactive move to tackle the proliferation of unlicensed practitioners within the field of public relations, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has made a significant appointment. General Chris Olukolade (Rtd), DIG Frank Mba, and Dr. Peter Afunanya have been chosen to lead the newly established Compliance and Enforcement Committee, comprised of seasoned professionals.
This decision comes as a direct response from the NIPR’s Governing Council to the growing concerns of certified public relations practitioners, who are keen to eliminate unlicensed individuals, often referred to as “quacks,” from their profession.
The inauguration of the Committee took place recently in Abuja and was presided over by the Institute’s President, Dr. Ike Neliaku. He urged the Committee to be resolute, unwavering, and uncompromising in their mission to enforce the provisions of the 1990 NIPR Practitioners Act, now encapsulated in Cap N114 Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Dr. Neliaku emphasized, “For emphasis, the Act in section 19 (2) prohibits any person from practicing public relations without certification from the NIPR, and in the same section 19 (4a & b) prescribes appropriate punishments for offenders, which include fines, imprisonment, or both.”
Additionally, he declared that, starting from Tuesday, October 24, 2023, the NIPR Act Compliance Committee will take legal action against any non-registered member appointed by organizations. This stern stance is in accordance with the law. Defaulting organizations are urged to ensure that their appointees register and regularize with the Institute by December 31, 2023, as the full enforcement regime for this category of offenders will be activated from January 1, 2024, in an unprecedented manner.
The President of NIPR expressed his strong condemnation of the consistent violation of the Act by numerous government establishments that appoint non-registered individuals as Spokespersons, Officers of Public Relations, Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, and more. He said, “The NIPR has noticed with great displeasure the increasing trend of corporate rascality in appointing Spokespersons by most government agencies, which we must all rise to stop forthwith, noting that every institution of government ordinarily should be a ‘respecter’ of the law and not a violator.”
The NIPR has been conducting advocacy campaigns for several years to educate the public about the provisions of the Act. This recent move to establish the Compliance and Enforcement Committee underscores their commitment to maintaining the integrity and professionalism of the public relations field in Nigeria.
