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Why The World Needs Public Relations More Than Ever Right Now
By Ayeni Adekunle, Founder and CEO of BlackHouse Media
Businesses, governments, and people do themselves a huge disservice, if they continue to fail to see PR for what it is and should be: a strategic aspect of business and governance, invaluable in building relationships, preventing crises, achieving business objectives; pushing national interest, and preventing the kind of confusion that could ruin a company or lead nations to war.
Ayeni Adekunle, Founder and CEO of BlackHouse Media
Public relations hires hundreds of thousands of people around the world; working for many organizations, governments, celebrities, and causes – almost 100,000 in the UK alone, according to the PRCA’s PR and Communications Census 2020
Professionals are often graduates of colleges and tertiary institutions; certified by government chartered regulating institutes, and trained by many academies and associations around the world.
There are established ethics guiding the practice of public relations, organisational codes of conduct, principles for evaluation, and consequences for quackery.
From Nigeria, where I grew up and first established my PR practice, I could follow and participate in the activities of the Africa Public Relations Association, Public Relations and Communications Association, Chartered Institute of Public Relations, and Public Relations Association of America. In fact I participated in training, conferences, and development, from Mauritius to Finland and London.
For someone who studied Microbiology, and entered Public Relations by way of journalism, I found the barriers to entry, and standards, remarkable.
I was not admitted into the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations until I had studied and obtained a diploma; and the Public Relations Consultants Association would not admit our agency unless I was an NIPR member. Maintaining my industry credentials requires continuous professional development.
Public relations covers a wider range of markets, functions and industries, in communications, corporate services, digital affairs, community management, internal comms and more, doing the tough, often thankless, and never-ending job of helping brands, organizations, leaders, celebrities, sportspeople, and charities communicate clearly, be it to boards, consumers, investors, citizens, or shareholders.
I see them everyday. I understand what they do. I appreciate it. Many of their principals and clients do. Some of the biggest organisations and governments in the world do. Sadly, there appears to be a large number who are in between not knowing what PR is/does; and believing it only serves a publicity/media relations role. Many do not trust the profession (nearly 70 per cent of the general public, according to one PR Week survey). And of course those who blame an entire industry for the activities of hacks.
A similar PR Week survey of 1,500 people in Britain found that ‘‘Nine in ten (92 per cent) people polled claim PR is primarily used to deceive the public, while an identical proportion claim that PR professionals ‘bend the truth’. It’s the same everywhere, from South Africa to India and Belgium.
How then could we possibly get the best value out of something if we do not understand what it does, how it works, or how to use it? Imagine not understanding what doctors do, and the many ways they could help prevent illness, cure sickness, and literally save our lives? Imagine not having the privilege of understanding how science or literature or banking works? Or engineering? Music? Not being able to use them for individual or collective advantage because we don’t understand what they do; how they work?
Close your eyes and look at the picture.
Yes, it scared me too.
Actually we only understand them to the extent that we do, partly because of the work of public relations and communications people. But because PR is a behind-the-scenes profession, often seeking neither credit nor attention, but suffering reputational damage with each practitioner’s misdemeanour or quack activity, what has emerged is sadly a situation where when it comes to PR, the media are sceptical, public wary, and executives and leaders indifferent.
The late Nigerian lawyer Efere Ozako was so worried about the poor understanding of the law profession that he single-handedly drove an advocacy campaign ‘Wetin lawyers dey do sef’ (Pidgin English expression for ‘Wait, what do Lawyers actually do?’). He took the query away from the domain of sceptics and naysayers and owned it in such a way that he was able to provide information and education about the legal profession for the benefit of anyone who needed to know. It worked.
The world has now reached a point where we cannot afford to have too many people asking: ‘What do PR people actually do?’ We have reached a point where we cannot afford to not have the value that public relations brings as citizens and consumers are actively demanding companies and governments do better; and as the world comes to the understanding that there’s a desperate need to unite against poverty, global warming, crime, disease, racism, and everything else that seeks to bring humanity to its knees.
Trust, truth, integrity, honesty, positive influence, responsibility – the pillars driving Sustainable Development Goals, Environmental, Social and Governance impact, and other similar interventions are the same pillars upon which public relations is built. And it’s time for everyone to take advantage.
That’s why today, July 16, on what’s the first-ever celebration of World PR day, we’re asking everyone: student, politician, accountant, investor, journalist, lawyer, artisan, to take a simple pledge: to help build trust, and integrity, through honesty, responsibility and fairness in communities and organisations because the world needs it badly.
As we begin the work of helping everyone understand and use PR better, this pledge must guide everything we do, such that in future, journalists, academics, even clients will find it easy to identify and isolate miscreants and those behaving badly from the pack of professional, ethical practitioners, the same way they would when a rogue doctor is apprehended. And that would only be the beginning.
The preferred endpoint? That would, in my view, be a time when we can comfortably say we – citizens, governments, and organizations – are successfully using the understanding and application of public relations and communications to build a world that protects the most vulnerable, prioritises environmental, social and governance matters, accelerates sustainable development; you know, a far better world than we have today. Not the so-called utopia, but closer to what everyone considers ideal.
It always looks impossible until it’s done.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
Broadcasting
Davido, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Karl Toriola, Others To Be Honoured At The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards In Lagos
Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is excited to announce the Lagos Diaspora Experience 2025, a week-long celebration of African art, culture, innovation, and connection, culminating in the End of the Year Awards & Celebration on Sunday, December 21st, 2025, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Most Influential People of African Descent Awards
This historic occasion marks the first time the world-famous Most Influential 100 Recognition & Awards Ceremony—traditionally held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)—will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria.
The week will feature events such as Diaspora Day at the Fela Exhibition (Afrobeat Meets Diaspora), Cultural Heritage Day, and Business Leadership Luncheons, all culminating in the awards celebration.
The evening will honor the Best & Brightest of the Year, recognizing exceptional individuals and institutions whose work has advanced Global African Achievement and Black Excellence across business, government, media, culture, and technology.
Key Recognitions for 2025
– Governor of the Year & City of the Year: His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, honored alongside Lagos as City of the Year for its global leadership in culture, innovation, tourism, and diaspora engagement.
– Her Excellency Hannatu Musa Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, will be honoured as Minister of the Year for her contribution to the creative economy’s role in nation branding and cultural diplomacy.
– Most Influential Woman of the Year: Olorì Atúwàtse III, Queen Consort of the Warri Kingdom
– Most Influential Man of the Year: Adewale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, OANDO
– CEO of the Year: Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria; who will deliver a keynote address, recognized for his transformative leadership and impact on Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital economy.
Others include; Karl Toriola of MTN as CEO of the year, Uche Pedro of Bella Naija as Lifestyle Personality Of The Year, Ojy Okpe of Artise News as Most Influential News Anchor Of The Year, Stephanie Busari as Media Executive of the Year, Kayode Okikiolu as Pressman of the year, Davido as Artist of the year and several others.
In celebrating this year’s honorees, Michael Ehindero, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, owners of Martell Cognac, who emerged as Brand Of The Year expressed deep appreciation for the brand’s continued global recognition, saying: “It’s a great reward for the team who’s delivered Martell excellently in Nigeria over the years.
“We say thank you to the teams, we say thank you to our consumers and we say thank you to MIPAD.
“Martell has a lot of promising experiences in the years to come in Nigeria and with this we invite you over to Nigeria to experience Detty December”.
The ceremony will also celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2025 Honorees, alongside past Nigerian honorees who were unable to attend their year of recognition in New York.
“For the first time, we’re bringing our world-famous recognition platform home to celebrate excellence within the Global Africa Family — right here in Lagos,” said Kamil Olufowobi, Founder & Chairman of MIPAD. “This is more than an event; it’s a movement uniting the best of us — connecting, collaborating, and working together to change the world.”
Event Details
📍 Lagos, Nigeria
– Friday, Dec 19 – #DettyDec Diaspora Day at Fela Exhibition FREE
– Sunday, Dec 21 – End of Year Recognition & Award Ceremony STRICTLY BY INVITATION
🎟️ RSVP: https://rsvp.oakenevents.com/mipad
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for urgent adoption of advanced digital protections after blocking seven piracy sites amid escalating online threats to Nollywood content.
The call was made during a webinar hosted by Greychapel Legal titled “Clicks, Streams, and Copyright: Who Owns Nollywood’s Digital Future?”, which brought together filmmakers, regulators, entertainment lawyers and media strategists to examine how content ownership and copyright enforcement are being reshaped by the digital age.
Lynda Alphaeus, director and head of the NCC Lagos Office, said the Commission has intensified its efforts to combat piracy across digital channels and is upgrading its operations to meet emerging threats.
According to her, Nigeria’s new Copyright Act was deliberately updated to strengthen creators’ rights amid the explosion of online distribution.
“NCC has worked, and is still working tirelessly to adapt Nigeria’s legal framework to cope with digital distribution challenges. We now have the power to block networks publishing illegal content, and we have already blocked seven websites distributing pirated Nigerian works,” Alphaeus said.
She revealed that the Commission has established a special taskforce known as the STOP Unit to coordinate anti-piracy operations online, alongside new awareness campaigns targeting local markets and schools to educate content creators and the public on copyright obligations.
Alphaeus urged filmmakers and producers to take ownership of their digital safety by deploying available technological protections to safeguard their intellectual property.
She explained that tools such as encryption help prevent unauthorised copying, blockchain technology offers immutable proof of ownership, digital watermarking allows creators to trace illegal uploads, while cloud security and regular offline backups protect creative files before they reach the market.
While noting that copyright in Nigeria does not legally require registration, she stressed that registering one’s work strengthens protection and provides legal presumptions that can be vital in enforcement.
“Whatever you register is presumed to be yours until proven otherwise,” she said, urging creators to invest in copyright knowledge as part of their business strategy.
Other speakers at the webinar reinforced the urgency of protecting Nollywood’s digital assets.
James Omokwe, film director, noted that while streaming platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for visibility and monetisation, they have also opened new vectors for intellectual property theft and unauthorised redistribution.
Solafunmi Laelle, media strategist, added that audience data, which streaming platforms rely heavily on, will increasingly determine leverage and value in film licensing negotiations.
According to her, creators who lose control of their intellectual property, whether through piracy or unfavourable contracts, also lose access to valuable data that could shape their long-term earnings.
Nky Ofeimun, entertainment lawyer, emphasised the need for creators to understand the contractual implications of ownership, platform exclusivity, and reversion rights.
She noted that many filmmakers still underestimate how quickly digital copies can be illegally duplicated or uploaded once control is lost.
The panelists agreed that as Nollywood deepens its digital footprint, piracy will continue to evolve and become more sophisticated.
They stressed that the industry must respond with equally sophisticated tools, stronger contract negotiation, and improved education around copyright.
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