The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, is seeking a collaboration with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, to combat quacks and fake news merchants in the industry.
President of the NIPR, Mr Ike Neliaku stated that the institute has set up a compliance and enforcement team owing to several complaints it has received on the activities of quacks ravaging and distorting credible news flow.
Neliaku, during a courtesy visit to GOCOP members in Abuja, said the institute recognizes the role of online publishers as a very important component in nation building.
“We are delighted to be here today. We consider your constituency as a very important aspect of nation building; you are a component that must not be ignored, we also consider you a strategic partner to the NIPR.
“We would have had this visit a long time ago, but we had to wait to be formally inaugurated which happened in January and this is one of the first organizations that we are visiting. This is to underscore the importance we attach to the work you are doing.
“We consider you a strategic partner to the institute and that is why we have come here to brief you on what we are doing as a council following our inauguration”, Neliaku told GOCOP members led by Vice President Danlami Nmodu.
Neliaku highlighted the upcoming activities of the institute even as he invited GOCOP to be part of them.
The National Spokesperson Summit and Awards, designed to develop a new framework for spokesmanship in Nigeria, is slated for 25th of March at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Orientation Agency.
He disclosed that the institute is also engaging in what it called “a REBIRTH Nigeria Project” to promote values reorientation, citizen education, service excellence and promotion of made in Nigeria products.
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He promised a waiver of registration fees for two members of GOCOP to attend these events and a subsidized induction rate for two new members of GOCOP willing to join the NIPR.
While appreciating online publishers for being strong in professionalism to manage and control the flow of information, Neliaku called for a more stronger partnership to address the menace of fake news.
Nmodu commended the NIPR and the initiative to concretized another strategic partnership with GOCOP.
He added that the council is coming up with a book as part of its activities to mark three years of GOCOP existence, and promised that the NIPR will be formally invited to the event.
Member of GOCOP, Tajudeen Kareem, who gave a vote of thanks, noted that the reach out was important and critical in redefining professionalism and governance in the country.
He expressed the optimism that the two organisations will run with the shared visions and make the country better as professionals who have the role to shine the light for people in governance to follow.
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