Two (2) staff of the Corporate Communications Section joined other Public Relations practitioners from across the country to participate in the 35th edition of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference, centred on the theme “One Africa, One Voice: Bridging Africa’s Communication Divide.”

The conference explored the pivotal role of Public Relations in unifying our diverse continent and amplifying Africa’s unified voice on the global stage. Significantly, it highlighted the essential role of Public Relations in merging the diversity on the African continent and strengthening Africa’s unified voice on the global stage.

The conference afforded GRIDCo’s staff, Ms. Joana Ohui Tetteh and Ms. Helina Asante, both Principal Publicity & Information Officers to have relevant exposure to industry best practices and learn new trends in the Africa PR landscape.

Industry experts from Africa and Europe delivered presentations on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and its use. Practitioners were encouraged to learn more about AI and incorporate it in their work. Another topic of interest was how to undertake Research in P.R.

A major highlight of the conference was the historic signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (Global Alliance) for the first Public Relations University in the world.

This move aims to set the framework for cooperation between NIPR and the Global Alliance to advance Public Relations practice in Nigeria and globally through collaborative partnerships.

“Under the agreement, NIPR and Global Alliance will collaborate to develop curriculum and academic programmes, provide expertise and resources, facilitate faculty and student exchanges, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and standards for higher education institutions in Nigeria and globally. This comprehensive collaboration will pave the way for a new Public Relations and leadership education era. Both parties look forward to a fruitful and collaborative relationship,” said Mr Jibril Baba Ndace, a Council Member of NIPR and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON).

The Ghana Delegation had representatives from the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana Water Company LTD. (GWCL), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ghana Grid Company LTD. (GRIDCo) and others

“APRA was established in 1975 to foster unity, interaction, and exchange of ideas among public relations practitioners on the continent. It has a goal of selling ‘positive Africa’. At its core, public relations is about influencing, engaging, and building a relationship with key stakeholders across numerous platforms to shape and frame the public perception of an organisation.” – apra.org