Nigeria is set to welcome more than 126 countries to Abuja for the 2026 World Public Relations Forum, in what organisers described as the largest and most significant edition of the global gathering to date.
The forum, scheduled for November 15 to 22, will bring together leading communications professionals, governments and international institutions to examine the future of ethical and responsible communication.
Speaking at a world press conference in Abuja, Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said Nigeria’s selection as host reflected the country’s growing influence and capacity in the global public relations industry.
Nigeria will host the World Public Relations Forum alongside the 37th African Public Relations Conference, becoming the first West African country and only the second African nation to host the world event.
“This is a significant recognition of Nigeria’s growing profile, capacity and competitiveness in the international communication and public relations space,” Idris said.
The forum will be held under the theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” against the backdrop of growing concerns over misinformation, disinformation, declining public trust and the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Idris said public relations professionals must go beyond promoting institutions or managing reputations, stressing the need to uphold truth, accuracy, transparency and the public interest.
He also highlighted the Federal Government’s support for the establishment of a UNESCO Category 2 International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Abuja.
The institute, he said, would focus on research, training and capacity-building to help citizens distinguish credible information from falsehood.
“Public trust is built through credible information, consistency, transparency and accountability,” the minister said.
President of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, Professor Justin Green, said the event represented a major milestone for Africa and would demonstrate the continent’s leadership in responsible communication.
“By the end of the week, it will be Africa: the voice of the world,” Green said.
He disclosed that representatives of the United Nations, World Bank, African Union, European Commission and Asian trade networks were expected to attend. According to him, the event had attracted unprecedented international interest.
Green praised the Nigerian government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations for their support in bringing the forum to Nigeria.
He also commended the determination of Nigerian organisers, recalling that the country had faced fierce competition from countries across Latin America, North America, Asia and elsewhere during the bidding process.
Idris assured international participants that Nigeria was ready to host the event and urged visitors to experience the country’s culture, hospitality, music, food and heritage.
“Nigeria is not all about the bad news that you hear,” he said. “There is good news, so much of it, in this country.”
Organisers say the forum will provide an opportunity for global and African communication professionals to exchange ideas, build partnerships and explore how responsible communication can strengthen institutions, promote peaceful coexistence and support sustainable development.
