WPRF2026: A Global PR Forum In Africa, But Where Is Africa’s Voice?
Guest Columnist By Adetokunbo Modupe As Nigeria prepares to host the world’s public relations community, the opportunity goes beyond global recognition. It is about reclaiming Africa’s narrative and challenging longstanding
Nigeria is set to host the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF2026) from November 15 to 21, 2026, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. The forum, organized by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, aims to elevate Nigeria's public relations industry and Africa's growing relevance in global strategic communication. Its President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, has played a significant role in this achievement.
While the forum's theme, "Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World," is relevant, it is curious that Africa's communication challenges, opportunities, and aspirations are not explicitly at the forefront of its agenda. A dedicated Africa-focused day on November 19, themed "Africa, the Voice of the World," is a step in the right direction, but Africa deserves a central place in the conversation.
For generations, Africa's international image has been dominated by stories of conflict, poverty, disease, corruption, and political instability. However, the continent also boasts innovation, entrepreneurship, cultural influence, intellectual excellence, and extraordinary human resilience. To achieve a meaningful reputation repositioning, Africa needs a coordinated conversation that goes beyond truthful storytelling to fair representation, contextual accuracy, and challenging inherited prejudices.
This requires responsible listening from the world, which should extend beyond the opportunity for Africa to speak, to demonstrating a genuine willingness to listen without predetermined conclusions.
While Nigeria's hosting of WPRF2026 is a significant achievement, its impact should not be measured solely by the success of the event. The NIPR and its global partners have an opportunity to establish an African reputation agenda that outlives the conference. An Abuja Declaration on Responsible Communication and Africa's Reputation, supported by continuing dialogue and measurable commitments, could become the defining legacy of this historic event.
This initiative would ensure that Africa not only provides the venue for the world's conversation on responsible communication but also helps define that conversation, influence its conclusions, and shape its enduring legacy.
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