The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ebonyi State Chapter, has honoured the Special Assistant to Ebonyi State Governor on Inter-Party Affairs, Comrade Sunday Nwambam, with a Merit Award in recognition of his contributions to the practice of public relations and reputation management.
Speaking shortly after receiving the award during the institute's World Public Relations Day celebration in Abakaliki, Nwambam described the recognition as both humbling and motivating, pledging to redouble his commitment to promoting ethical public relations practice and safeguarding institutional reputation.
Nwambam, who holds a Master's degree in Public Relations and Advertising, said the award came as a surprise but would inspire him to do more in advancing professionalism in the communication industry.
"Public relations is fundamentally about managing and protecting reputation, information and relationships with the public. For the institute to consider me worthy of this honour, I first of all thank God because I never expected it," he said.
"This award challenges me to do more than what people think I have been doing. As a public relations practitioner, I will continue to build and protect reputation, manage information responsibly and strengthen relationships between institutions and the public."
The governor's aide stressed that only professionally trained public relations practitioners should be entrusted with the responsibility of managing the image and reputation of government institutions, corporate organisations and other establishments.
According to him, one of the major challenges confronting the profession is the appointment of unqualified individuals to sensitive public relations positions.
"The problem we have today is that some government officials employ quacks as public relations officers. Public relations is a profession. If you are not trained, you should not occupy such positions," he said.
He warned that the increasing misuse of social media to attack individuals and destroy reputations runs contrary to the ethics of the profession.
"A genuine public relations practitioner cannot engage in character assassination. Our responsibility is to build reputation, provide accurate information and manage relationships between organisations and their various publics," Nwambam added.
He also urged the Ebonyi State Chapter of NIPR to create more opportunities for trained practitioners to participate actively in the institute's programmes, noting that continuous professional development would strengthen the profession.
Earlier in his keynote address, the Guest Speaker, Professor Emmanuel Chike Onwe, described trust as the most valuable strategic resource in the 21st century, arguing that public relations has evolved from a communication support function to a leadership discipline responsible for safeguarding institutional legitimacy.
"My central argument this afternoon is simple but far-reaching. The defining responsibility of strategic public relations in the 21st century is the governance of institutional legitimacy through the ethical stewardship of reputation, relationships, narrative and trust," Onwe said.
He noted that although technology has made communication easier and faster than ever before, it has also made public confidence increasingly fragile.
"The defining resource of our age is trust. Never have institutions communicated more frequently, yet public confidence has become more fragile. We have mastered the science of connectivity without mastering the art of trust," he stated.
According to the professor, institutions today compete not only for market share or political influence but also for credibility, legitimacy and public confidence.
He maintained that reputation has become a form of strategic capital capable of attracting partnerships, strengthening resilience during crises and sustaining institutional legitimacy.
"Reputation has become capital. Financial capital enables investment, human capital generates productivity, and in the same way, reputation capital expands institutional opportunity. It opens doors that money alone cannot open," he said.
Onwe further argued that strategic public relations should no longer be limited to image management or media relations but should occupy a central role in executive decision-making.
"The future of strategic public relations lies not at the periphery of executive decision-making but at its centre. Communication professionals must become trusted advisers who shape strategy before decisions are announced, not merely explain them afterwards," he said.
He also unveiled what he described as the "RISE Framework" for strategic public relations, explaining that it focuses on Reputation as Strategic Capital, Information Abundance and Intelligence Disorder, Stakeholder Empowerment, and Executive Leadership as the key pillars for strengthening institutional trust and legitimacy.
The university professor urged public relations practitioners to embrace strategic thinking, ethical leadership, artificial intelligence literacy and governance expertise in order to remain relevant in the rapidly evolving communication landscape.
The event formed part of activities marking this year's World Public Relations Day organised by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations, Ebonyi State Chapter, bringing together communication professionals, government officials, academics and stakeholders to reflect on the evolving role of public relations in promoting ethical leadership, institutional credibility and sustainable public trust.
