The African Public Relations Association, APRA, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Namibian Press Agency, NAMPA, to co-host the 2026 Effective Communicators Conference, scheduled for July 14 to 17 in Swakopmund, Namibia.
The conference, themed “Communication Reconsidered: A Driving Force for Constant Progress,” is also being organised in partnership with Namibia’s Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, MICT, led by Minister Emma Theofelus.
The agreement followed an earlier invitation by NAMPA to APRA to partner on the event. The minister had earlier unveiled activities leading to the conference in Windhoek after the MoU signing between APRA and NAMPA.
According to the organisers, the conference will bring together professionals and stakeholders in public relations, marketing, government communications, journalism and digital media from across Africa and beyond to examine the role of communication in shaping the continent’s development.
APRA President Arik Karani, who was represented by APRA Secretary General Dr Omoniyi Ibietan said the collaboration reflected growing recognition by African governments and institutions of the importance of communication in governance and development.
Karani said the partnership between APRA, MICT and NAMPA marked an important step toward promoting higher standards, education and ethical practice in communication across the continent.
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“We are committed to telling the African story with shared intentions, cooperative, evidence-based, safe, ethical and responsible communication, to enhance understanding, trust, stability and prosperity of the continent,” he said.
Organisers said the conference will feature six high-level strategic forums designed to engage leaders, practitioners and decision-makers on key communication issues facing the continent.
Among the featured sessions is the Heads of States and Diplomatic Forum, which is expected to bring together presidents, vice presidents, ministers and diplomatic representatives to discuss regional communication priorities and Africa’s global narrative.
Other sessions include the Captains of Industry Forum, which will examine the role of business in regional development; the Editors and Journalists Forum, focusing on press freedom, information integrity and the future of African journalism; and the Government Communicators Forum, aimed at aligning frameworks and messaging among public sector communication professionals.
The conference will also host a Strategic Communications and Public Relations Forum, which will address crisis communication, reputation management and integrated campaigns, as well as a Digital Storytelling Forum, where participants will discuss emerging digital tools, artificial intelligence in content creation and creator-led storytelling in Africa.
More than 1,000 participants are expected at the event, which will also host APRA’s 2026 annual general meeting.
APRA’s 37th annual conference is scheduled to take place later in November 2026 in Abuja during the World Public Relations Forum.
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