FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

Good day, dear colleagues,

Practitioners of public relations and PR bodies all over the world are converging to celebrate the second edition of the World Public Relations Day on this day, the 16th of July.

On behalf of APRA and its entire membership, I join Public Relations stakeholders across the globe to commemorate this year’s day aptly themed – TRUST, TRUTH AND TRANSPARENCY.

I salute Ayeni Adekunle, the CEO and founder of BHM, a proud Nigerian, Proud African for conceptualizing the World PUblic Relations Day.

May I use this medium to request all practitioners and stakeholders on the continent to aggressively push the agenda of PR in their daily dealings by highlighting its importance and value in every organization, business, and nation.

As you are aware, I am a firm advocate of ‘Affirmative PR’
Simply put, Affirmative PR means making sure PR speaks for PR. It makes sure we determine and define the value and importance of PR and we effectively communicate it.

After all, if we can do it for our clients and principals, we surely can do it for our profession.

In line with this, APRA since 1975 has been able to gather PR professionals across the continent and beyond, under one roof in various locations, at various times, to push forward the unified African agenda for Public Relations.

Our latest gathering was our 33rd annual conference held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, this May and was hugely successful. It came on the back of the worldwide pandemic that held us back from gathering physically since 2019.

The 34th edition, tagged APRA Zambia 2023, is scheduled to hold in Lusaka, Zambia in May 2023 and will afford us another opportunity to push our continental agenda for public relations. I look forward to receiving you personally.

Finally, The Executive Council of APRA acknowledges the efforts of  PR professionals across the continent and has asked me to thank you all for your contributions to redefining public relations practice. There is definitely a lot more to be done and it is counting on us all.

I wish us a very happy 2022 World Public Relations Day!

Thank you.

One Africa!

Yomi Badejo-Okusanya
President
African Public Relations Association (APRA)
July 16, 2022