By Chesa Chesa
The Presidency has pledged its support for the forthcoming Global Alliance World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled to hold in Abuja from November 15 to 21, 2026.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, gave the assurance on Thursday when he received members of the WPRF Abuja 2026 Planning Committee at the State House, Abuja.
The delegation was led by the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku.
Nigeria is expected to host about 3,000 delegates from 126 member countries of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management at the conference, which has the theme, “Deepening Responsible Communications.”
Onanuga expressed delight that Nigeria had been chosen to host the international gathering, describing it as an opportunity for the country to showcase its cultural heritage and project a positive image to the world.
He urged Nigerians to act as good ambassadors of the country, while expressing concern over what he described as negative portrayals of Nigeria in some quarters.
According to him, the conference provides an opportunity to counter negative narratives and present a more balanced picture of the country to international visitors.
“You see, as a Nigerian, I always feel very odd when you read online the kind of things our people put out in the public space. They say negative things about this country. This is a great opportunity for us to correct those things of concern to people,” Onanuga said.
“For me, I’ve seen the conference as something that will be good for our country, and it should be supported.”
Earlier, Neliaku said the delegation was at the State House to seek the support of the Presidency for the successful hosting of the forum.
He said the conference would provide an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, adding that Nigeria was the first African country to secure the hosting rights.
Neliaku noted that Mexico, India and Berlin, Germany, were among locations that had hosted the event at different times.
He disclosed that a major outcome of the Abuja forum would be the signing of an accord to be known as “The Abuja Declaration.”
The NIPR president also announced that Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is expected to deliver the keynote address, while President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be honoured with a Lifetime Award of Excellence in Reforms.
Chairman of the Planning Committee, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, said preparations for the conference were in top gear, noting that the committee was collaborating with media organisations and security agencies to ensure a successful event.
Another member of the committee and Director-General of Strategic Communications to the Nasarawa State Government, Yakubu Lamai, said the Nasarawa State Government was building a world-class Public Relations University as part of efforts to strengthen the profession and gain the confidence of international partners.
