Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Zambia’s President, Hakainde Hichilema, have been confirmed as Chief Host and Keynote Speaker respectively for the upcoming World Public Relations Forum scheduled to take place in Abuja this November.
The announcement was made by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management in a statement released on Tuesday in Portugal. The organisation’s President, Prof. Justin Green, described the involvement of the two African leaders as a strong signal of the continent’s readiness to host a major global communications event.
“The buy-in of two Presidents from Africa is a clear indication that Africa as a continent is truly prepared to give the world the Biggest, Brightest and Boldest global public relations event in Nigeria,” Green said.
He also confirmed that the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communication, Melissa Fleming, and INTERPOL’s Director of Communication, Samuel Heath, will participate as speakers during the week-long forum.
According to Green, the forum will centre on the theme, “Responsible Communication, the Voice of the World,” which aligns with ongoing advocacy to recognise responsible communication as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal.
“The theme, Responsible Communication, the Voice of the World, resonates with our long quest for the inclusion of Responsible Communication as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal and we are happy that the Forum in Nigeria from 15th—21st November will extensively focus on this critical subject,” he said.
Green added that the Global Alliance would support Nigeria in hosting what he described as the “Biggest, Brightest and Boldest” edition of the forum, with participation expected from over 126 countries.
Reacting to the development, President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr. Ike Neliaku, said the institute is collaborating with the African Public Relations Association and other professional bodies across the continent to deliver a successful event.
He noted that the goal is to position Africa as a leader in shaping global conversations on communication and public relations.
