_…As Nigeria prepares to host over 3,000 delegates from 126 countries_
By Danjuma Amodu
Preparations for the 13th World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) Abuja 2026 have entered a critical phase, with the National Planning Committee organising an orientation programme for volunteers who will serve in various capacities at the global event. The orientation was held yesterday, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in Abuja, ahead of the Forum scheduled to take place from November 15 to 22, 2026.
Addressing the participants, the Chairman of the National Planning Committee, Dr. Suleiman Haruna, urged them to see their selection as an opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards building the nation’s reputation by leaving a lasting impression in the minds of delegates coming into the country from various parts of the world. While encouraging them to imbibe basic courtesies that reflect Nigeria truly as a happy people, Dr. Haruna assured the Committee’s readiness to create a conducive environment for their voluntary services.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Volunteer Task Team of the WPRF National Planning Committee, Inimfon Etuk, urged the participants to deploy the knowledge acquired from the orientation exercise beyond the WPRF and internalise it as a tool to shape their future.
The WPRF is the premier global event of the public relations and communication profession, organised by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and hosted in Nigeria by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). Abuja 2026 will be the first time the Forum is being held on African soil, a development officials describe as historic and strategic, reflecting Africa’s growing influence in global communication. The Forum, themed “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” will explore the role of communication in advancing trust, ethical leadership, social cohesion and sustainable development. It will hold at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Chief Host, while the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, will deliver the Presidential Keynote Address.
The landmark event is expected to convene over 3,000 delegates from across 126 member-countries of the Global Alliance, including presidents, industry leaders, regulators, scholars and communication executives. It will also run alongside the 37th Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and coincide with the Silver Jubilee of the Global Alliance.
In the build-up to the Forum, NIPR has been mobilising across the country, from a nationwide road walk to sensitisation campaigns in states, to a one-day conference for hospitality stakeholders in Abuja to equip hotels with the service standards required to host international delegates. The Forum will also feature flagship side events, including the inauguration of the University of Public Relations and Leadership (UPRL) in Nasarawa State on November 20, 2026, described as the first specialised sector-based university in the world dedicated exclusively to Public Relations and Leadership studies, and the formal signing of the Africa Declaration on the Professionalisation of Public Relations and Responsible Communication.
With less than two weeks to the opening, the volunteer orientation is seen as a key part of ensuring seamless protocol, logistics, media, delegate services and hospitality for the global gathering.
