joshuaNIPR, ARCON Sign MoU to Facilitate Growth in Communications Ecosystem
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on Friday, January 10, 2025, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to achieve Integrated Marketing Communications that will create conducive environment for sustainable development in the industry.
NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, described the tripartite collaboration, which includes the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) as historic, marking the first time three regulatory bodies are coming together to synergise for the effectiveness of the communications ecosystem.
The NIPR had in November last year signed a similar MoU with NIMN in Lagos, effectively opening a new chapter for the trio to work together and bring vibrancy to their regulatory functions.
“When any member among the three wants to join the others, you don’t need to go through rigorous processes; you will only take part in a special programme that allows you to learn the rudiments.
“If an NIPR member wants to join ARCON, they will do basic courses in advertising. If it’s NIMN, they will do basic courses in marketing.
“If any of the two bodies seeks membership of NIPR, they will only do basic courses, sufficient enough to practice it, instead of going through rigorous processes.
“So, we are only saying that qualification for one is qualification for others. Our profession is virtually the same, but the difference is that we have individual specialisations,” Dr. Neliaku told journalists shortly after the signing of the MoU at APCON House in Abuja.
Elaborating further on what Integrated Marketing Communications implies, the NIPR boss explained that membership in one of the three bodies confers benefits under the other two, including ease of membership. “We are now integrating the entire industry instead of working in silos. Once it is a tripod, it is not easily broken. So, we will effectively regulate our industry,” he added.
In his remarks, the Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, highlighted the importance of organisations with similar mandates coming together to boost each other’s strengths for higher productivity.
“We strongly believe that this MoU will strengthen both the regulatory frameworks of NIPR and ARCON. We believe that within the Integrated Marketing Communications space, there will be greater sanity than what we used to have,” he stated.
Also speaking, the President of the Global Alliance, Prof. Justin Green, who joined virtually, said the coming together of these organisations is a reminder of the long-standing history of professionalism for which Nigeria is known, as well as a practical demonstration of the unity that should exist between organisations as collaborators rather than competitors.
The Chairman of NIMN, Idorenyen Enang who was present to witness the historic moment said the bond between the three signifies a new era. He pledged the support and readiness of his Institute to offer services to sister agencies—NIPR and ARCON—and the Nigerian nation.
The Vice President of NIPR, Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, expressed delight that the Institute is receiving the necessary support to weed out quackery and deeply entrench professionalism in a way that will positively impact the nation’s reputation within and outside the country.
