NIPR, ARCON and NIMN Sign Historic Agreement
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) on Friday, January 10, 2025, signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to regulate the Integrated Marketing Communications Ecosystem in Nigeria.
The agreement is to enable a more purposeful ecosystem that will promote effective business ethics, strengthen viable corporate practice, and creat a robust regulatory framework to facilitate sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.
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 national regulatory bodies are coming together to synergise for an efficient communications industry.
The NIPR had in October 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 amongst the three wants to enroll in the sister-organisation, the member will need to go through a special programme that allows them to learn the rudiments of the second or third profession as the case may be. Our practices are similar, the difference is in the choice in individual’s specialisations.” Dr. Neliaku told journalists shortly after the signing of the MoU at ARCON House in Abuja.
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 efficiency and greater 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 at the ceremony, the President of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management, 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 President of NIMN, Idorenyen Enang, who was one of the signatories to the MoU, earlier signed by NIMN, ARCON and NIPR, said, “The bond between the three regulators signifies a new era in the industry, and a three-fold cord cannot be broken.”
He pledged the support and readiness of his Institute to offer services to sister agencies; NIPR and ARCO and also to the Nigerian nation.
