PRCAN Members Pass Vote Of Confidence in EXCO

 

Managing Director of NECCI Ltd, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun , President PRCAN, John Ehiguese, Red Media Africa of Newly Inducted agency , Mr Adebola Williams and Honourable Treasurer of PRCAN, Mrs. Mojisola Saka,  at the  concluded 2015 PRCAN Annual General Meeting /Induction of New member held in Lagos recently.

The members of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), the umbrella body of PR consultancy firms in Nigeria, arose from their 2016 Annual General Meeting on Thursday, December 10, 2016, with a unanimous expression of support for their EXCO in its efforts to rid the profession of charlatans and those consultancy firms practicing PR illegally in Nigeria.

This was one of the fall-outs of AGM which provided the EXCO with an opportunity to give an account of its stewardship for the year 2016. The AGM was attended by more than half of the CEOs of the 53 member agencies.

Recounting its activities for the outgoing year, Mr. John Ehiguese, President of PRCAN, listed his team’s stewardship to include: the re-admission of PRCAN into the International Communication Consultants Organisation (ICCO), the leading global body of PR consultancy firms, with a membership of 31 associations representing over 2,000 consultancy firms worldwide; improved relationship with its parent body, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR);  and the hosting of the 2^nd Gold Medal Lecture, featuring Ms. Wendy Tlou, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand South Africa. Ehiguese was also appointed to the Board of ICCO at its Annual Global Summit held in Milan, Italy, in October 2015.

Another achievement was the inauguration of PRCAN Monthly Business Breakfast Meeting in July this year, which has featured five sessions, with Guest Speakers drawn from among communications and marketing leaders in the public and private sectors. The speakers were: Mr. Kufre Ekanem, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc; Mr. Emeka Oparah, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, Airtel Nigeria; Mr. David Okeme, President of ADVAN and Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria; Mr. Tony Ojobo, Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission and Mrs. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Head, Corporate Communications at Stanbic IBTC.

The association was also able to continue with its Masterclass training series, at which upcoming and mid-level PR executives from both client and agency sides are trained to hone their skills in professional PR practice. 

PRCAN, the President disclosed, had also acquired its national secretariat at a highbrow location in Ikeja area of Lagos.

Ehiguese rolled out his executive committee’s plan for the new year, themed: ‘Vision 2016’. The plan, he said, is to engender more equity for PRCAN so as to place the profession at par with its counterparts. Highlights of the programme are:

•       More focus on training and capacity building - a review and strengthening of our professional training programmes

•       The Monthly breakfast meetings will continue, and we will work harder to secure sponsorships for it

•       A need to reach out more purposefully to other professional associations in the IMC space

•       The Gold Medal Lecture will be held early in 2016

•       Annual (PR) industry survey to be institutionalized

•       Plan to host our first international conference

•       Launch of the first PRCAN Awards

•       Global outreach programme to proceed with more vigour. Nigeria needs to get a strong voice in the global PR community. Active participation in global PR platforms – APRA, ICCO, Cannes Festival, Global PR Summit, etc.

Expressing appreciation to the executive committee of PRCAN, Mrs. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, Principal Consultant at NECCI Limited and Past Chairman of NIPR, Lagos State Chapter, rallied support for members. She urged member firms to stand by the team in its effort at ridding the profession of charlatans and those bent on bringing the practice to disrepute. Her position was supported by all the other speakers.

The PRCAN EXCO is made up: of John Ehiguese - President; Muyiwa Akintunde - Vice President; Adetola Odusote - Secretary General; Jaiye Opayemi - Publicity Secretary; Mike Nzeagwu - Assistant Secretary General; and Mojisola Saka - Honorable Treasurer.

The event witnessed the induction of a new member firm, Red Media Africa, bringing the total number of agencies under its fold to 53 members.

PRCAN is legally chartered by  Bye Law No. 3 of 1993, of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), to cater to the interests of the consultancy side of PR practice in Nigeria. It currently has a membership of 53 PR consultancy firms providing services across at least 21 PR practice areas.