In a landmark event at the 35th Annual Conference and General Meeting of the African Public Relations Association (APRA), Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, the Head of Media Relations at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has been elected as the Secretary-General of APRA. The election took place amidst high expectations and vibrant discussions at the ongoing event in Abidjan.
Ibietan joins a distinguished Executive Council comprising three key members. Alongside him, Arik Karani from Kenya was elected President, and Dr. Michele Mekeme from Cameroon was chosen as Vice President. Ibietan, a seasoned public relations expert and fellow of both the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and APRA, has pledged to collaborate with his colleagues to further APRA’s reform agenda. He aims to enhance democratic engagement within the organization and foster increased participation from national public relations bodies across Africa.
In his acceptance speech, Ibietan emphasized his commitment to closely working with the African Union Commission and the Council of Ministers to integrate public relations into policy-making, program execution, and project implementation. His extensive background in media and communications will be instrumental in these endeavors.
Dr. Ibietan’s career spans over two decades, with significant contributions in journalism, academia, policy discourse, and regulatory communications. He currently oversees public communication strategies at NCC, Nigeria’s telecommunication regulatory authority. His previous roles include serving as Special Media Advisor to the Federal Minister of Information and Communication during Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
Academically, Ibietan holds a BA and MA in Communication Arts and Communication & Language Arts from the Universities of Uyo and Ibadan, Nigeria, respectively, graduating at the top of his class. He also earned a diploma in journalism with distinction from the International Institute of Journalism in Moscow. His Ph.D. in Communication from North-West University in South Africa focuses on political communication. He is an IP3 certified regulation specialist and holds a mini MBA in telecommunications from NEOTELIS in Paris.
Ibietan is also an active member of several professional bodies, including the African Council for Communication Education (ACCE), the International Institute of Communications (IIC), and he is an Associate Registered Practitioner of Advertising (arpa). His scholarly work examines the intersections of political communication, new media, and democracy.
At the conference, Ibietan presented a paper titled “Digital Inclusion as Arbiter of Accessible Public Relations: A Case of Nigerian Communications Commission.” Drawing on Castells’ Theory of the Network Society and the Knowledge Gap Theory, he argued that digital inclusion is pivotal to digital public relations. He highlighted how the NCC’s initiatives in digital infrastructure expansion and access enhancement underpin Nigeria’s digital economy.
The APRA, originally established as the Federation of African Public Relations Association (FAPRA) in 1975, aims to promote unity among Africans and their global allies through meaningful communication. This year’s conference, themed “One Africa, One Voice: Bridging Africa’s Communication Divide,” is endorsed by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, The Holding Opinion & Public (THOP), and leading global PR organizations, including the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).
The event also features the eighth edition of the Innovation Summit (IN2SUMMIT) and the seventh SABRE Awards Africa. APRA’s secretariat is based in Nigeria, and the organization holds observer status with the African Union.
