Nigeria Hosts Africa's PR Eggheads
Nigeria is set to play host to Africa's top public relations practitioners as the Federation of African Public Relations Associations (FAPRA) holds its next All Africa Public Relations Conference (tagged FAPRA Abuj a 2004) on May 24 - 26, 2004 in Abuja
The conference , which is fifth of its kind in Nigeria is being organised in association with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and will focus on Africa, Good Governance and the Challenges of Public Relations. Public Relations practitioners from the continent are expected to attend the professional development forum
Information and National Orientation Minister, Chief Chukwuemeka Chikelu will deliver the keynote address, while the NlPR president, Mr. Bobo Brown will give the welcome address. Sub-themes have been developed from the conference theme on which some of Africa's distinguished PR practitioners, media and advertising professionals as well as tried and tested technocrats would be speaking.
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Presidential Adviser to the president on Political .affairs, Professor Jerry Gana and Dr. Ayo Ighodaro, a management consultant and coordinator, Concerned Professionals have been scheduled to speak at the conference.
Other distinguished speakers include Dr. Charles C)kigbo, APCON's pioneer Registrar and now conmmunication tutor at the University ol North Dakota, United States, Mr. Nn'emeka Maduegbuna, President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria and Mr. Peter Walker, a former president of the International Public Relations Association (UK).Ghana's Minister of Information, Mr. Kayode Soyinka, publisher, Africa Today, Miss Gene van Heerden of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, as well as Sir Bob Ogbuagu, a former president of FAPRA are also expected to speak at the conference. Mr. Assane Ba, head of communication, African Union is also expected to present a paper at the conference.
Topics will also dwell on the activities of oil companies and their communities government reputation management in Nigeria Ghana, South Africa and East Africa, and probity, accountability and the future of public office in Africa.
So far, about a dozen top corporate organisations in the country have confirmed their intention to sponsor various aspects of the conference, while several others have made pledges.
FAPRA, founded in 1975 is an umbrella association for all the national PR associations in Africa and organises such conferences as part of its efforts professional development of the African PR practitioners.
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