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Industry and Thought Leaders Unite for World PR Day to Advocate for The Future of PR Practice
For the fourth year in a row, public relations practitioners, students, and industry thought leaders will gather on July 16, 2024, to celebrate, share knowledge and address critical issues facing the PR and communication landscape for the highly acclaimed global event, World PR Day (WPRD).
WPRD, an annual event, was instituted in 2020 for practitioners to celebrate and take pride in the role they play in shaping and building brands through strategic communications. For its past three editions, it has also provided a platform for professionals to set standards for the practice, create a unified agenda, and continue to help brands, companies, and governments understand the crucial role the industry plays in shaping businesses.
Speaking about this year’s edition, themed “The Future Of Public Relations In A Changing World,” Ayeni Adekunle, Convener of World PR Day, said that activities will be held across the globe with the aim of furthering the message of not only what PR practitioners do, their contributions to the growth and success of businesses, and also help professionals understand the trajectory the industry is taking a rapidly changing world.
“In line with our commitment to celebrating the pivotal role of PR practitioners, this year’s edition promises a global showcase of our industry’s invaluable contributions to business, institutions, and international growth and success,” he said.
“World PR Day 2024 will offer practitioners the opportunity to have the much-needed conversation regarding the future of our industry – asking and answering questions like: what needs to be done to stay abreast of the dynamic changes the world is witnessing? What role can practitioners, as communicators, play in a world faced with multiple wars and where brands indulge in unhealthy competitions?”
There has been, for years, a misconception by the general public regarding what PR professionals do. While some view their role as ambiguous, others do not trust public relations practitioners as a report by PR Week showed. Even more extreme are public views that see the industry as one contracted by brands to ‘deceive.’ Another study by PR Week reviewed that 92 percent of surveyed 1,500 Britons believe that brands and organisations use PR to “hide the truth and cover up mistakes.”
Within the industry, maintaining ethical and professional practices remains the major concern of practitioners. As a 2022-2023 Africa PR & Communications Report review found, 20.1 percent of the over 3,000 participants surveyed expressed this concern. Talent drought remains another major problem that needs to be addressed. A staggering 74.8 percent of practitioners living across 29 African countries say there is a drastic drop in talent in their countries. This, understandably, has resulted in over 80 percent of professionals admitting to being overworked.
Addressing these challenges, from public perception of the industry to earning trust – emphasising that transparency and integrity are hallmarks of public relations – tackling industry issues (underpayment, talent drought, and overwork), remains the core objectives and driving force of WPRD.
Since its debut in 2021, WPRD has witnessed commendable growth as professionals continue to queue into this initiative of building an inclusive and trusted industry where practitioners take absolute pride in the work they do. While 3,500 practitioners participated in the first edition of WPRD, the second edition in 2022, themed ‘Trust, Truth, and Transparency’, saw participation grow to 10,000. Stakeholders like GLG Communications, Global Media Alliance Forum, and the Public Relations Council of India held conferences, fireside chats, virtual and physical events, summits, and festivals to amplify the need for gaining trust, standing for the truth, and maintaining transparency in the practice.
Enitan Kehinde, Lead Coordinator, World PR Day, described the annual event as crucial, particularly in a world where there’s not only a growing need for well-tailored brand messages to stand out among competitors but also a need to show what PR professionals do.
“Against the backdrop of an increasingly competitive landscape, the significance of this annual event cannot be overstated. It serves as a vital platform to showcase the indispensable role of PR professionals in crafting distinct brand narratives that resonate amidst fierce market dynamics,” she said.
The 2023 edition of WPRD, with its global reach of 60 million across 20 physical and 25 virtual events in over 60 countries, garnered recognition at the 2023 PRovoke EMEA SABRE awards. This achievement underscores WPRD’s ongoing success in promoting the public relations industry.
Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) hosted its annual Made of Africa (MOA) 2025 Awards on Monday, February 4, 2026. The event, held during the NGX year-end celebrations, brought together regulators, listed companies, and market operators such as MTN, BUA, Dangote, Transcorp, to celebrate achievements in compliance, sustainability, and market performance.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, the Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Limited, said “Excellence in compliance, sustainability, and several other categories recognises the fact that capital market operators and quoted companies must be standards not only in terms of the size of their operations but also adherence to regulations and best practices of corporate social responsibilities.”
He emphasised that the awards serve as a benchmark for excellence. He noted that the 2025 honourees demonstrated significant improvements in branding, customer service, and operational standards despite a challenging economic environment in Nigeria.
Among the evening’s significant winners was MTN Nigeria, which was honoured for its commitment to corporate transparency. The technology giant received the award for Leadership in Sustainability Reporting, emerging as the winner in a category that included Seplat Energy, BUA Cement, and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria PLC.
The award recognised the brand’s adherence to both national and global reporting standards, reflecting its role in advancing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices within the Nigerian corporate space.
Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, MTN Nigeria, said “This recognition for Leadership in Sustainability Reporting underscores our commitment to transparency and aligning with global best practices.
“As the capital market moves toward greater accountability, MTN Nigeria remains dedicated to demonstrating resilience and faith in the Nigerian economy through comprehensive and standard-compliant reporting.”
The ceremony saw several other major players in the financial sector secure multiple accolades. Chapel Hill Denham emerged as one of the night’s most successful firms, winning in categories including Fund Manager with the Largest Listed Fund Size and Market Operator with the Highest Value of Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) Transactions.
Other notable winners included: Cardinal Stone Securities Limited, named Broker of the Year and Equity Trader of the Year, Dangote Cement was awarded Best Issuer in terms of Fixed Income Listings, BUA Cement PLC was recognised as the Most Compliant Listed Company, and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) PLC received special recognition for Capital Market Excellence in Equity.
Mr. Jude Chiemeka, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Exchange Limited, congratulated the recipients, noting that the market saw a 51% close in the All-Share Index last year, making it the second-best performing market globally. He urged winners and nominees alike to continue striving for excellence to further the aspiration of a $1 trillion Nigerian economy.
Nigeria’s broadband landscape remains anchored by 4G LTE at 52.95% market share in December 2025, with 2G holding steady at 37.37%, while 5G penetration crawls at just 3.77%, per Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data.
4G’s dominance stems from urban smartphone migrations and MTN-Airtel infrastructure expansions, fuelling the digital economy, as 2G persists in rural areas due to feature phone reliance and a stubborn device gap.
5G growth stalls from high smartphone costs amid inflation, telco preference for 4G’s quicker returns over capital-heavy 5G rollouts, and limited mainstream apps beyond elite urban streaming in Lagos and Abuja.
Broadband subscriptions topped 112 million, lifting penetration to 51.97%—up from 42.2% in October 2024—crossing the halfway mark for the first time, though monthly gains of 2-3 million slowed mid-year amid population growth and regional disparities.
The NCC’s 70% target stays elusive, highlighting sustained urban-rural demand but underscoring needs for affordable devices, infrastructure, and use cases to accelerate high-speed access nationwide.
Nigeria’s internet subscriber base surged to 148.2 million by December 2025, achieving 68.3% penetration, even amid 50% tariff hikes and naira depreciation, according to Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data.
MTN and Airtel dominated with 86% market share, Airtel adding 1 million subscribers in December alone, while Glo and 9mobile lagged as legacy players.
Data consumption exploded 35% to 13.25 million terabytes yearly, but Nigerians spent ₦20.87 billion daily—totalling ₦7.62 trillion ($5.58 billion)—as gigabyte prices doubled from ₦287 to ₦575.
User frustrations mounted from network failures, thousands of fibre cuts due to construction and vandalism between January and August 2025, and poor service quality despite billions in revenue. 4G LTE held 52.95% share as the workhorse, 2G clung to 37.37% in rural areas, and 5G remained a 3.77% urban luxury limited by device costs and base stations.
The NCC’s 70% broadband target fell short at 51.97%, though the ICT sector boosted Q3 GDP by ₦7.47 trillion and restored telco profits post-2024 losses.
In 2026, attention shifts to quality matching rising costs, with users urged to stay powered amid persistent “spinning wheel” woes.
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