Leo Stan-Ekeh Calls on PR Practitioners to Embrace New Media

Mr. Leo Stan-Ekeh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Zinox Technologies Ltd, and Mr. Olufemi Odubiyi, Commissioner for Science & Technology, Lagos State, has called on public relations practitioners in Nigeria to embrace digital media in the practice of their profession because the advantages of its adoption outweigh traditional media.

The duo made the call at the Lagos Digital PR Summit with the theme: New Media: Public Relations Practice in Networked Communities, which held at the Nigerian Institute of Management between Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th, October 2016.

Stan-Ekeh, a leading figure in Information Computer Technology who pioneered digital publishing in Nigeria, said public relations practitioners need to deepen their knowledge of new media because it offers humongous opportunities for the practice. According to him, “The new media offer public relations practitioners a unique opportunity to expand the scope of their work and tie strategic activities back to bottom line and it is easier to evaluate the outcome of campaigns than traditional media. New media is an effective communication tool with global reach and a resource to garner consumer and competitor intelligence”.

He commended the leadership of the Lagos State Chapter for organising the knowledge session and charged that there would be no poor man in public relations practice if they embrace new media and support their professional association.

The Lagos Digital PR Summit; first of its kind in Sub Saharan Africa, is a two-day experiential gathering of communicators focused on achieving collective intelligence to equip and capacitate communicators in corporate and public affairs with high-level digital media strategies, tactics and how-to’s so they can do their jobs better and lift their social media campaign results. It was powered by the Bank of Industry, and supported by Lafarge Africa, Stanbic IBTC, Dufil Primal Foods (makers of Indomie noodles) and Unilever.

Faculty members of the Summit included the Founder/Managing Director, Simon Page College of Marketing, Princewill Omorogiuwa, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, Google West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Africa Regional Director, TrendWatching, Lola Pedro, Co-founder/Managing Partner, RED Media Africa/The Future Project, Chude Jideonwo, Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Stanbic IBTC, Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Chief Operating Officer, ID Africa, Femi Falodun, Head, Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft Nigeria, Olusola AMusan, CEO, HotSauce Interactive, Dayo Adefila, Director, Corporate Communication and CSR, Airtel, Emeka Oparah, and Creative Director, Black Opal Studio, Sope Afolayan.

The Lagos State Chapter is the flagship of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR); the umbrella body of professional Public Relations practitioners chartered to regulate as well as direct its development and the practice. It has Chapters in the 36 States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory.