By joshua KOGI HOS CALLS ON PR PROFESSIONALS TO GET REGISTERED, SEEK MANDATORY DEVELOPMENT COURSES
The advocacy of the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, received a major boost on Thursday with a courtesy visit to the Kogi State Head of Service, Hajiya Falilat Yusuf Musa, who called on all public relations practitioners in the state to get registered with the Institute and embrace mandatory continuous professional development.
Receiving the NIPR delegation led by the State Chairman, Ismaila Isah, at her office in Lokoja, the Head of Service stressed that training and retraining of Information Officers and Public Relations Officers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies is critical to improving performance and aligning with global best practices.
Hajiya Falilat said her office is already keyed into contemporary developments in the PR profession, noting that steps have been taken in line with directives from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to modernize communication in the civil service.
She disclosed that the Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Head of Service occupies a strategic position, sits in management meetings, and plays key roles in shaping management communications.
The Head of Service pledged the support of her office to NIPR activities in the state and urged all media and information personnel to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the Institute by registering as members and upscaling their capacity through professional courses.
Earlier, the NIPR State Chairman, Ismaila Isah, said the visit was part of the Institute’s advocacy to promote professional PR practice in both government and private institutions in Kogi State, while also boosting the membership base of the Institute.
He appealed to the Head of Service to champion the caderization of Information Officers in MDAs to Information Officers/Public Relations Officers, and to ensure sponsorship of PR practitioners in the state to attend national NIPR events.
Isah commended Hajiya Falilat for the reforms she has introduced since assuming office, saying her leadership has placed the Kogi State civil service on a higher pedestal.