The Nigerian Women in Public Relations (NGWiPR) recently held the second edition of its Experiencing PR Annual Conference in Lagos. It was organised to provide participants the opportunity to learn from industry experts and experienced executives on how a positive perception can improve personal, organizational, and national outcomes.
Tolulope Olorundero, the founder of Nigerian Women in PR, in her address, described the event as a historic moment for the development of PR in Nigeria and would elevate the practice in the global industry.
According to Olorundero, the success of the conference was made possible by the cooperation of speakers and over 500 participants. “Something that I started as a passion in 2019 today has now been restructured to deliver impact initiatives that improve the understanding and value of public relations while supporting the growth and relevance of Nigerian women in public relations everywhere across the world,” she said.
Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo, the president, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, in his address, said “the theme of the conference, “Beyond Crisis: PR for Perception Management in Business and Public Affairs” is very apt because it offers a platform to highlight the potency of public relations in building, managing and maintaining perception for organizations, institutions and countries.
Sirajo, represented by Nkechi Ali-Balogun, a council member, of NIPR, said “It is also coming at a crucial time in history when our dear country is at the lowest ebb of its reputation ladder and the urgent need for deliberate and planned perception management program, to change mindsets, heal wounds, as well as repent Nigeria’s reputational damage in the committee of Nations.
The Experiencing PR 2023 Conference featured various speakers discussing topics such as perception management and cost-effective methods for delivering campaigns.
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Yemi Kale, partner, and chief economist at KPMG Nigeria who was also one of the panelists said there are two sides to the role of positive perception in shaping an organization’s outcome: the way you are perceived from the outside and the way you perceive yourself from the inside.
“It doesn’t matter what I do, or the number of processes I introduce; if the perception of the staff and the general public remains the same, nothing is going to change,” Kale said.
The conference also marked the launch of several initiatives by Nigerian Women in PR, including the first issue of the ExperiencingPR Magazine, Nigerian Women in PR launched several impact initiatives at the Conference including the first issue of the ExperiencingPR Magazine, which explores Perception Management with article contributors from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Russia, the #trashyourtrash campaign, and the Nigerian Women in PR Scholarship Fund.
