PRCAN to announce new Practice Standards for Public Relations consulting

The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), the sectoral trade group authorized by the NIPR Bye-Law to regulate the business of Public Relations Consulting in Nigeria, is set to announce far-reaching reforms that would help protect the businesses of clients and companies in the sector.

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day retreat organized for Chief Executive Officers and Leaders of PRCAN member-firms, held from Friday, 11th to Sunday, 13th February 2022, at Epe Resort and Spa, Lagos.

Announcing the outcome of the well-attended retreat themed “Building Resilience for Growth-Rethinking How You Do Business”, PRCAN President, Israel Jaiye Opayemi stated that members of the association unanimously agreed and adopted the PRCAN Practice Standards 2022 for implementation during the retreat.

Opayemi noted that the PRCAN Practice Standards 2022, expected to be launched within the next few weeks, would provide ground rules for improved public relations consulting practice and bring better value to corporate and public sector clients who engage the services of public relations consulting firms in Nigeria.

Part of the reforms, according to him, is the need for clients to engage the services of PRCAN certified consultancies given the opportunities and institutional protection they stand to gain should issues arise in the contractual engagement.

“Should issues arise, a client can now make recourse to an organ of PRCAN for redress or intervention. This ensures that clients will get full value for money. Similarly, PRCAN member-firms will enjoy full institutional support from PRCAN and the NIPR as regulators when these reforms come into effect. The package is a win-win for all,” Opayemi assured.

The PRCAN President explained that the reforms in the PRCAN Practice Standards 2022 would also help prospective corporate and public sector clients understand the 21 practice areas they can seek professional services from within the circle of legally recognized public relations firms in Nigeria.

He admonished government and corporate institutes engaging the services of public relations firms to demand their PRCAN membership certificate as a requisite minimum in addition to other prerequisites the PRCAN Practice Standards 2022 will make mandatory for such engagements.

He noted that as part of the drive towards the effective date of the reforms, the association will engage with relevant industry stakeholders such as the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) and the Association of Communications and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) to ensure their buy-in as critical stakeholders.

According to the report submitted by the Business Transformation Committee of the association, PRCAN is already working on creating a differentiating identity for its members through a sustained campaign to be led by an advocacy committee established for that purpose to differentiate its members from the quacks and interlopers parading themselves as public relations consulting firms in Nigeria.

Members of the Advocacy committee comprise the Managing Director, Integrated Indigo Limited, Bolaji Abimbola; Chief Executive Officer, Media Range Limited, Hassan Abdul; Chief Executive Officer, Modion Communications, Odion Aleobua; and Lead Strategist, Absolute PR Limited, Akonte Ekine.