Ahead of their 2026 Annual General Meeting and Summit, members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Anambra State Chapter, have engaged Public Relations students and young professionals on the theme; “Breaking Ground Early: Building a Career in Public Relations.”
The event, which was held at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, gave PR students and young professionals from the university and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the rare opportunity to listen to seasoned professionals and successful entrepreneurs who recounted their life stories, challenges, and how they surmounted various odds to become who they are today.
The National President of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku, in his remarks encouraged the young participants to attend the forthcoming NIPR Global Conference that will take place in Abuja in October this year, saying it will expose them to global trends and other benefits, noting that because the President of the Global Alliance is interested in building young people who will become the next generation of public relations practitioners, the registration fee was subsidized to encourage students and young people to attend the conference.
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman, Dr. Nelson Omenugha, in his address gave a rundown of the activities lined up for the Annual General Meeting and Summit and told the PR students and young professionals about the need to start early, prepare deliberately, and step into the PR profession with clarity and purpose, noting that public relations has evolved and is now about strategy, influence, stakeholder engagement, emotional intelligence, crisis management, and above all, ethical responsibility.
The Vice-Chancellor of COOU, Igbariam, Professor Kate Omenugha, who gave her maternal advice to the students and young professionals, asked them to learn to build strategic communication skills and collaboration, as well as develop human and crisis management abilities, adding that public relations offers opportunities for those grounded in these areas.
