Effective communication, exemplary leadership and sustained investment in innovation dominated discussions at the 13th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference held on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The conference, themed “Communication, Leadership and Innovation for Sustainable Community Transformation in Nigeria,” brought together public relations professionals, policymakers, academics, government officials, business leaders, media practitioners, development experts and young innovators to examine how strategic communication, effective leadership and innovation can drive sustainable national development.
The conference was hosted by the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), in collaboration with Addefort Nigeria, and featured presentations, a leadership talk and panel discussions on governance, public trust, innovation, youth empowerment and sustainable development.
In his welcome remarks, Chairman of NIPR Lagos, Dr. Samuel Ayetutu, described the conference as timely, noting that it came at a critical point in Nigeria’s development journey.
“Communication has become central to effective leadership, institutional credibility, stakeholder engagement, and national cohesion,” Ayetutu said, adding that the conference provided an opportunity for leaders across sectors to explore practical strategies for strengthening governance, restoring public confidence and driving sustainable development through communication and innovation.
Sanwo-Olu: Leadership Must Create a Legacy
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, delivered the maiden Leadership Talk, titled “Exemplary Leadership: Shaping a Legacy for the Next Generation.”
Sanwo-Olu identified four key pillars of exemplary leadership: a vision that outlives the leader, integrity, deliberate investment in the next generation and innovation as a daily discipline.
He said effective leadership requires looking beyond the next election cycle and investing in infrastructure, institutions and opportunities whose benefits would extend beyond a leader’s tenure.
The governor cited Lagos State’s investment in the digital economy as an example, saying the state had attracted more than $1 billion in direct investment into its digital ecosystem, including data centres, submarine cable landings and high-speed connectivity.
He also highlighted the state’s citizen engagement initiatives, including a digital platform that enables residents to contact government agencies, lodge complaints and track their resolution.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the state has also published a three-year Strategic Communication Plan for 2025–2027, incorporating structured town halls, digital feedback channels and civic education.
He stressed that public trust could not be built through publicity alone.
“A government that is only honest when it is convenient is not practising integrity.”
Sanwo-Olu said governments must build what he described as “the boring infrastructure of trust” through effective feedback mechanisms, town halls and follow-up channels.
On youth empowerment, the governor highlighted the Lagos State Creative Initiative, under which an interest-free N200 million revolving loan fund was launched in 2022 to support young Nigerian filmmakers.
He said leaders should deliberately create opportunities for the next generation rather than merely celebrate young people after they have achieved success.
Sanwo-Olu also described public relations professionals as critical actors in governance, urging them to see themselves as “the translators of governance into trust.”
He challenged young professionals and innovators to begin practising vision, integrity and innovation regardless of whether they currently occupy formal leadership positions.
Popoola Advocates Communication-Led Development
Professor Tayo Popoola, Head of the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, in his paper titled “Communication, Leadership and Innovation for Sustainable Community Transformation in Nigeria,” said communication remained central to effective leadership, cooperation and purposeful development.
Using the leadership philosophy of former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere as an example, Popoola examined how effective communication could mobilise citizens around national development objectives.
He argued that leaders must clearly communicate their vision and ensure that citizens understand the direction and priorities of government.
Citing the words of former Nigerian leader Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe — “show the light and the people will find the way” — Popoola maintained that communication was a fundamental pillar of leadership.
He linked communication and leadership failures to some of Nigeria’s persistent challenges, including farmer-herder conflicts and insecurity associated with the illegal exploitation of natural resources.
On innovation, Popoola called for stronger government support for indigenous research and technologies capable of addressing Nigeria’s economic and social challenges.
He cited research into the use of high-quality cassava flour in bread production as an example of an innovation that could promote import substitution, strengthen food security and conserve foreign exchange.
He also highlighted space-related research being conducted in Nigerian universities, arguing that stronger collaboration among researchers, government and industry was needed to convert such research into practical benefits for society.
Business Leaders, PR Professionals Join Conversation
Prominent stakeholders at the conference included Engr. Leye Kupoluyi, President/Chairman of Council, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI); Otega Ogra, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media and President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN); and Segun Ajayi-Kadir, mni, Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.
Also in attendance was Dr. Nkechi Ali-Balogun, fnipr, Chairman of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN).
Their participation reinforced the conference’s focus on bringing government, business, professional bodies and communication practitioners together to address challenges affecting Nigeria’s development.
From Conversation to Action
The conference convener and Lead Consultant at Addefort Nigeria, Olabamiji Adeleye, in his opening address titled “Why Are We Here?”, said the gathering was designed to move stakeholders beyond conversation and towards concrete action.
Adeleye described the conference as an annual “August Gathering of Solution Providers,” arguing that Nigeria’s development challenges require collective action involving government, business, media, civil society, professionals, communities and citizens.
He said communication had evolved beyond information sharing and reputation management to become a strategic instrument for governance, public trust, crisis management, citizen engagement and social transformation.
Adeleye also announced the introduction of the Leadership Dialogue & Recognition Series, designed to facilitate deeper conversations on leadership, governance, innovation, institutional excellence and sustainable development.
He stressed the importance of giving young people a stronger voice, describing them as innovators, entrepreneurs, creators and community change-makers already contributing to national development.
According to him, the conference would produce a communiqué containing key observations and recommendations. However, he stressed that the real measure of success would be whether those recommendations translated into action.
Panel Examines Communication, Business and Public Trust
The conference featured a panel session involving practitioners and senior professionals from the public and private sectors.
The panelists were Olusina Thorpe, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Lagos State; Mabel Adeteye, Head of Brand and Marketing Communications, Wema Bank Plc; Godfrey Adejumoh, Head of Corporate Relations, Diageo; and Irene Jerry-Iyoha, Public Relations Manager, TotalEnergies Nigeria.
The panel explored the practical relationship between communication, leadership, corporate reputation and sustainable transformation, drawing on experiences from government, banking, consumer brands and the energy sector.
The discussions reinforced the need for organisations and governments to establish communication systems that promote transparency, stakeholder engagement and public confidence.
Building the Nigeria We Want
Across the presentations and discussions, speakers emphasised that sustainable transformation cannot be achieved by government alone.
The conference highlighted the need for stronger partnerships among government, the private sector, professional bodies, the media, academia, civil society and local communities.
A recurring message was that communication must evolve from a reactive public relations function into a strategic tool for policy implementation, trust-building, innovation and social development.
As Adeleye noted in his opening address, the success of the conference would not be measured by the number of speeches delivered or photographs taken, but by what stakeholders do with the ideas generated.
The 13th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference therefore ended with a call for stakeholders to move from conversation to action, translating communication, leadership and innovation into practical initiatives capable of delivering inclusive and sustainable transformation in Nigeria.
