The Executive Director, CMC Connect, Raheem Olabode has said that the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) as a regulatory body needs to improve more in the aspect of professional practice. NIPR, he stated, is improving on a daily basis, but needs to double its efforts to measure up with global best practices.
Mr. Olabode stated this during an exclusive interview with MARKETING EDGE, Nigeria’s foremost brand and marketing magazine. He urged NIPR to realign with Public Relations Consultants of Nigeria (PRCAN) because PRCAN has practicing members who have given visibility to PR practice. He opined that though there are in-house consultants who work in government agencies, the realignment should be in form of trade association to empower PRCAN in the standard of practice.
Commenting on some of the challenges in the industry, Olabode said: “The way in which accounts move from one agency to another is a major challenge affecting the industry. It’s an advocacy that we are trying to come up with because this is killing most of the agencies, and is happening based on the fact that we are not speaking with one voice.
“PRCAN is trying to come up with an advocacy campaign in a way that we all see ourselves as one and then standardize this profession in a way that practitioners know what to do or what kind of solution to use in any situation they find themselves.”
He affirmed that brands will benefit from the standard of practice in the area of regulation because they would be dealing with professionals not quacks. They would be dealing with the businesses that continuity is assured. They will get value for the service they are paying for from registered members in the profession.
Mr. Olabode assured that the PRCAN’s repositioning will be a mutually beneficial development between clients and PR practitioners.
