Abuja, 6 December 2025 – The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has officially unveiled the Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards, a prestigious new annual prize system designed to recognise, reward and showcase outstanding campaigns, practitioners, organisations and emerging talents that are shaping the future of public relations in Nigeria.
The maiden edition of the PRICE Awards is scheduled to hold on Sunday, 7 December 2025, at the luxurious Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, in what has been described as a “landmark moment” for the profession.
In a widely circulated statement signed by Dr Omoniyi Ibietan, fnipr, Vice Chairman of the National Planning Committee for the 2025 NIPR PRICE Awards and Prizes, the Institute declared that the new awards platform will become the country’s premier system for curating and celebrating exceptional accomplishments in public relations practice.
“Nigerian PR professionals and agencies have continued to win major international awards year after year, flying Nigeria’s flag proudly on the global stage,” Dr Ibietan said. “But for too long we have lacked a befitting home-grown platform to honour our own stars before our own people. The PRICE Awards will change that narrative forever. We are challenging the Organising Committee to deliver nothing short of a world-class ceremony built on prestige, class, colour and unimpeachable credibility.”
He added that the awards will not only motivate seasoned practitioners and scholars but will significantly enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness within the global public relations ecosystem.
The journey to the PRICE Awards reached a decisive milestone in September 2025 when the President and Chairman of Council of the NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, fnipr, formally inaugurated a 12-member National Organising Committee after the Governing Council adopted the comprehensive report of a technical team that originally conceptualised the awards.
During the inauguration, Dr Neliaku emphasised that committee members were carefully selected based on their proven track record, deep impact and outstanding achievements in the profession. “Nigeria deserves a credible, transparent and globally comparable public relations awards platform that we can proudly call our own,” he declared. He charged the committee to engage corporate sponsors, strategic partners and critical stakeholders to deliver “a spectacular, world-class ceremony that truly reflects the dignity and excellence of our noble profession.”
Accepting the mandate on behalf of his colleagues, the Committee Chairman, Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, fspr, fnipr, a Fellow of the Institute and Managing Director/Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Africa—one of Nigeria’s foremost strategic communication consultancies—pledged an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“We will benchmark this awards system against the very best in the world,” Opayemi assured. “Nigerian professionals have excelled repeatedly at the SABRE Awards, Cannes Lions, IPRA Golden World Awards, and many others. It is only fitting that the best-in-class practitioners are celebrated at home with the same rigour, glamour and integrity.”
The distinguished organising committee comprises some of the most respected names in Nigerian public relations, including Dr Mary Ikoku, Edemekong Uyoh, Adesola Oyawoye, Odoh Diego Okenyodo, Damilola Olujide, Beatrice Okpara, Prince MG Duku, Chief Patrick Ukah, Mrs Chidinma Awak (Secretary) and Kater Amos Foga (Assistant Secretary).
The PRICE Awards will cover the full spectrum of public relations and strategic communication practice, with categories that reward exceptional strategy, creativity, innovation, innovation, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, digital communication, stakeholder engagement, media relations, public affairs and measurable business impact. Special recognition will also be given to outstanding agencies, in-house communication teams, and public institutions.
Importantly, the awards will spotlight emerging talent through dedicated categories for students, young professionals under 35, and startups in the communication space. Winners in these categories will receive generous cash prizes, plaques, mentorship opportunities and global exposure.
Founded on 1 June 1963 and chartered by Decree No. 16 of June 1990 (now CAP N114 Laws of the Federation 2004), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations remains the first national public relations body in the world to receive statutory chartering. Its enabling Act empowers it to register members, set and enforce professional standards, regulate ethical practice, and determine the knowledge and skills required to practise public relations in Nigeria. The Institute operates under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
Over the decades, NIPR has grown into one of Nigeria’s most respected and influential professional bodies, driving ethical communication through flagship initiatives such as the annual Nigeria Public Relations Week, the National Spokespersons Summit, the yearly National Spokespersons Awards, and the prestigious Lagos Digital PR Summit.
A major milestone was achieved in April 2023 when President Muhammadu Buhari signed the NIPR Act (Amendment) Bill into law, officially designating public relations practice as a cadre exclusive to certified members across the entire public service of the Federation—an unprecedented victory for professional regulation in Africa.
On the continental and global stage, NIPR is a leading member of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and an active member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. In a further testament to its rising profile, the Institute, in partnership with APRA, recently won the fiercely contested bid to co-host the prestigious World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) 2026 and the APRA Annual Conference from 15–21 November 2026 in Nigeria—the first time the global event will be held on African soil in over a decade.
As excitement builds towards the inaugural PRICE Awards gala on Sunday evening, the Nigerian public relations community is buzzing with anticipation. Corporate communications directors, agency chiefs, government spokespersons, academics and young professionals alike see the new platform as a long-overdue celebration of home-grown excellence and a powerful catalyst for raising professional standards even higher.
With less than 24 hours to the red-carpet event, stakeholders agree that the PRICE Awards have arrived not just to fill a vacuum, but to proudly place Nigerian public relations on the world map—starting from home.
