Despite a few faltering steps by the federal ministry of finance in hiring a foreign Public Relations firm for its DMO PR brief, in the past few weeks, the federal government has assured the nation’s public relations practitioners of its readiness to patronise and support local PR practice.
Giving this assurance to a delegation of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), who paid him an advocacy visit in his office in Abuja, over the weekend, the nation’s Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated that as a public relations practitioner himself, the importance of Public Relations consultancy could not be over-emphasised.
“As for your request that government should involve your members in planning and executing PR campaigns, you are preaching to the converted. Discussions are ongoing on the need to patronise Nigerian PR consultants when planning government campaigns.
“The foreign consultants got to where they are today because they were given opportunities. We will ensure that PRCAN agencies are given the first right of refusal on any campaign by Ministries, Department and Agencies,” he stated.
The Minister also appealed to PRCAN member-firms to demonstrate a sense of volunteerism, while hoping for an enduring relationship between both parties.
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