L – R: General Secretary, Lagos NIPR, Thelma Okoh, Chairman, Planning Committee, Lagos Public Relations Week 2017, Babajide Benson, Chairman, Lagos NIPR, Olusegun McMedal, and Chief Consultant/CEO, TPT International, Adetokunbo Modupe at the Media Briefing announcing the Lagos Public Relations Week at the Elomaz Hotel, Lagos on Thursday May 4, 2017.

The Lagos State Chapter, the flagship branch of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR);the umbrella body of professional Public Relations practitioners chartered to regulate as well as direct its development and the practice, today unveiled programme of activities for the activation of the Lagos Public Relations Week and Annual General Meeting.

The theme of this edition of the Lagos Public Relations Week is: Exemplary Leadership: Public Relations Art for Nation-State Building, and is scheduled to start from May 24 – June 2, 2017.

The curtain raiser for the Week is the University PR Challenge; will feature Mass Communication students of Pan Atlantic University, University of Lagos, Lagos State Polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology, CALEB University and Lagos State University. The debate, first of its kind in Sub Saharan Africa, will hold on May 24, 2017. It aims to discover talents, capacitate and develop their oratory skills and professional grooming.

This will be followed by the PRoBuddies Invitational Football Tournament; a five-aside invitational competition featuring Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Management and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, at the Astroturf pitch of Lagos Country Club, Ikeja on May 27, 2017. The competition is an avenue to build camaraderie among complementary professions in marketing communications and management. There will also be Health Check-up and Awareness Walk for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Another highpoint of the Week is the thought Leadership Lecture on the theme: Exemplary Leadership: Public Relations Art for Nation-State Building, holding at the MUSON Centre on May 31, 2017. The need to spotlight some of the important qualities in leadership for nation-state building; vision, initiatives, excellent communication skills, sacrifice, spirituality, compassion and personal credibility inspired the thematic lecture. China, Singapore, Dubai, Brazil and Malaysia are examples of countries that has been transformed by visionary leadership. The Annual General Meeting of the Chapter will hold after the lecture.

The Week will climax with the Dinner with Corporate Lagos; a special fundraising gala towards the building of a secretariat for Lagos NIPR. The dinner will bring together all the professionals occupying public relations roles in the public and private sector to give life to the dream of having a befitting edifice for the Chapter.

Speaking at the press briefing to unveil the programmes, the Chairman of Lagos NIPR, Olusegun McMedal stated that,“The Lagos PR Week is part of the Chapter’s effort to connect with political leadership to rethink socio-political development approaches on hand and to up the status quo ante of public relations profession in Lagos being the PR Capital of Nigeria. We have a duty to stimulate new thinking through quality discuss and engagement”.

Chairman of the Planning Committee, Lagos Public Relations Week, Jide Benson, said that,“The mandate given to my Committee by the Chapter was to do something different, to create properties that will enable the Chapter to reach out to members and stakeholders. We have resolved to change the narratives and deepen stakeholders’ appreciation for the practice of public relations with this edition of the Lagos PR Week. I am thrilled that we have earned the confidence and support TPT International; a leading public relations firm in Nigeria.”.

The Chief Consultant and CEO, TPT International, Adetokunbo Modupe, stated that,“We are happy for the opportunity to play a part in the activation of these laudable programmes that lend a voice to nation-state building. As a firm,we have always been in the forefront of raising the bar of the public relations practice hence this partnership is another demonstration of our support for the growth of public relations practice in Nigeria’.

The Lagos Public Relations Week is a week-long, high-calibre event that serves the public relations and communications professionals and stakeholders in excitingly impactful ways.