Quackery: NIPR should wield the big stick, now —Eniola Mayowa

Mrs. Eniola Mayowa is the Chief Operating Officer of Stepcraft Nigeria, a marketing communication company and Vice Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). In this interview with Akin Adewakun, she bares her mind on issues affecting PR practice, while insisting that it is time for the leadership of the institute to wield the big stick, if it’s desirous of winning the war against quackery in the practice.

What informed your decision to go into PR?

First, I studied Mass Communication in the University of Lagos. I got my first and second degrees in Mass Comm, and I also have the flair for talking. I enjoy communicating; since  I believe communicating is something that should be done intentionally.  A lot of people say things without giving it a thought. But the totality of what we do, whether at the individual level or as an organization, all that we do communicate. And marketing communication is such a very dynamic and engaging practice that I just love doing.

A lot of people believe we are still not getting it right at the public space,  that  is government communications, especially at the centre. As an expert, what do you think  can  be done to address this?

As far as I’m concerned, we have a very poor public communication. Our governments are not really talking to us. Most of the time, instead of talking they barge it on us. Sometimes, they use propaganda. But the truth of the matter is that communication is a process. It is something that you do to enlist, to endear people to you for goodwill. The truth of the matter is that your communication must be emphatic enough so that I know that you are also thinking about me, and the whole thing is not just about you. So, I think our government just has to do a lot more, in terms of communication, and it starts with getting the right people. Sorry to say, journalists are not communicators, They inform, they write stories. But the process start with how do you receive this message. That is what somebody who has been trained in the art and science of communication does, unlike just passing message. They need to get professionals.

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A lot of people still  find it difficult to  draw a line between PR and propaganda; since  those in government use the two in their communication.  Are the two the same?

PR is totally different from propaganda. Propaganda simply means distortion of information that is passed on to people, and in most cases, through the technique of fear or force, so as to get people either edgy, anxious or do things that they wouldn’t want to do, ordinarily. PR, on the other hand, is a deliberate action. A lot of thoughts go into it. It is a deliberate action that gets  people to share your pain, to buy into what you are saying, to do what you want them to do without coercion. And that is because they believe in you, they trust you, they know that you can not cheat them. They know that you have their interests at heart. Even if you are saying I don’t have money for you now, they know that when you have, it’s something that you want to do. It is a deliberate action, it is not adhoc. It is something that is done over time and  they are beginning to trust you, and see you as somebody they can relate with and rely on, somebody on the same journey  with them. You build credibility, and people will see you as genuine. PR is genuine, it’s about being truthful. Even when we’ve messed up, we can say to err is human, and to forgive divine, and we can make corrections. That is what PR is about, unlike what propaganda is.

How has it been working in a male-dominated industry?

For me, I  just believe I have to do what I enjoy doing. I enjoy PR. I enjoy practising the profession. Interestingly, I had  never even given it a thought that this is a male-dominated industry. It has never really occurred to me, because with everyone of my colleagues, we have mutual respect. So the issue of you being a woman, you can not do this, has never happened.  I’ve never experienced it, because one, I know my onion.  I believe in mutual respect. You are a man, I’m a woman. We work together based on mutual respect. I respect what you are bringing to the table, you’ve got to respect mine. So I’ve not really had any issue that brings me into conflict, based on gender or  any gender-related issue, with my colleagues. So for me I just see myself doing what I enjoy doing, having the support of everyone around me, my colleagues, both male and female.

The issue of quackery has been a huge challenge to the industry. If you are to advise, what do you think can be done to permanently address this?

I think our institute has a lot to do to help practitioners overcome this issue. The truth is that quackery is something that cuts across every profession, and it goes to say a lot about the country. I’ve been privileged to see how PR is being practised in some other climes. I was on a training in South Africa, and I also had opportunity in the US, and I discover that there is just no way, somebody who is not certified can practice. If you are not trained and certified, you can not. They want to know your pedigree. So it’s not something you can dabble into. Professionals like lawyers, accountants, have been able to curb that a bit, despite the fact that we are all operating in the same clime. I think it’s for the institute to back up whatever is the regulation with action. For instance, what does the regulation say about PR practice in Nigeria? If you err on that, there should be no sentiments. Let them apply the necessary force to get people to comply.  The previous administration actually got people to register and got people to revalidate their practice. But I think it is something that we should be doing periodically and we should get other stakeholders, to work with us on this. As stakeholders,  I mean the corporate environment that employs some of these people that enlist the services of  PR practitioners, should ask  for qualifications. I understand as an accountant, you must have a number. You must have something to present to your client to know that you qualify for this. You don’t get people who are not trained as a doctor to work in this environment. I believe our institute should do a lot  more by working with other stakeholders, and we should not be tired in doing this. I think  it is time for the institute to wield the big stick.

 A lot of people believe that besides Lagos, Abuja and a few other cities in the country, PR is inactive in  other places. What is Lagos doing differently? Why is the practice not felt in other places the way it’s felt in Lagos?

Well,  Lagos being a cosmopolitan city, you have a lot of practitioners in here. And,  again, the leadership of the Lagos Chapter has also been able to do some things differently. For instance, our monthly meetings. We don’t just gather for gathering sake.  We share and we learn. It’s a training process. There is what we call PR Clinic that we have every month. As professionals, as somebody who desires to up your game, to upgrade your skill, it’s not something you want to miss. It’s an added value. I think Lagos Chapter is adding value, that is what  makes the difference. I don’t know what they are doing in  other states, but, for us in Lagos, we give our members a sense of belonging. We give them reasons to belong, to be part of the institute. We encourage them to learn. We have a whole number of activities that we do every year, that give them that sense of pride

What can we do to address the issue of poor labeling, packaging  of Nigerian products; since it is believed it is the major reason for rejection they suffer abroad?

Packaging is a whole lot. Most times, we don’t give attention to details. There was a tour I had when I travelled. I was in a manufacturing company in US, and I saw that the way they measure, the way they cap, the way they do things, they are so meticulous. But here we don’t do that. We are always in a hurry to do things. And at the end of the day, you wonder, what is the value of this haste that will make you circumvent the standards? Packaging is a whole lot and I also took time to check some of the Nigerian products and this issue you raised  is a fact. Even those ones that eventually come in, when you compare them with the ones that come from other markets into that country, you will note that Nigerian products are still not really there yet. And most of the times, this happens because the manufacturers believe they can not afford to pay professionals to help them handle their packaging. But they don’ t realize that the cost effect of not paying professionals will be more at the end of the day. Get professionals to do the job. There are people who are trained to package, who know the business, so enlist the services of those people. Packaging is what differentiates a Shoprite from a corner shop. People go to |Shoprite not because it is cheaper, but because of packaging. We just need to pay attention to details. Most Nigerians  don’t pay attention to details.

 Nigeria represents the largest market in Africa, and the signing of the AfCFTA is expected to further boost this. What are PR practitioners doing to leverage this goldmine?

For us, as professionals, we need to sell our profession. We need to sell PR. PR needs PR to thrive. If I don’t  understand what you represent as a body, as a profession, I will not be able to appreciate the value  you are going to bring to the table, to help me do my business better. So it’s a campaign  that I believe NIPR, as a body can champion. And at the end of the day, it will  benefit the practitioner, because if you let me know that as PR practitioner, we could take your product, we could take your services and leverage on that to project the country’s image, positively, like somebody was asking me, we know this country for this, we know this country for that, what do we know Nigeria for? And I believe it is because we are not communicating it, that in Nigeria we are good at what we do. We are very hardworking, well-read and resilient. So for us as a body, a whole lot need to be done.