An Open letter to GLG Communications and Guardian Limited
Dear Esteemed Organizers of the 2025 PR Power list,
I write to commend the impressive effort put into curating the recently released 2025 PR Power List, which undoubtedly showcases a spectrum of outstanding talents shaping the landscape of public relations in Nigeria. Recognizing excellence is one of the most powerful tools for inspiring greatness, and your work in highlighting key players in our profession is indeed commendable.
However, as a concerned stakeholder, I feel compelled to raise a matter of pressing concern: the conspicuous absence of core academic professionals from the list.
Public Relations as a discipline is nurtured in the halls of academia, where theories are refined, standards are set, and generations of practitioners are groomed. To omit these scholars from such a prestigious list sends an unintended message, that those who labour tirelessly behind the scenes, shaping the minds and ethics of future communicators, are invisible in the grand narrative of professional success.
Are we saying that our professors are not doing well? Are these not the same individuals who mentored and trained many of the practitioners being celebrated? Must we continue to perpetuate the notion that the reward of teachers is only in heaven and not on earth?
The late Professor Lai Oso, a beacon in our field, was only widely celebrated upon his death. Yet, Professor Ralph Akinfeleye, an equally towering figure who remains actively committed to advancing public communication and media ethics, still awaits due recognition. There are many like him, dedicated lecturers, deans, and heads of departments across Nigerian institutions who, despite limited financial resources, invest their lives in producing professionals who now define the public relations industry.
These scholars do not seek fame or fortune. They seek acknowledgment, not for themselves alone, but for the value of academic labour and its role in nation-building.
I strongly urge the organisers of the PR Power List to widen the scope of evaluation. Greatness in PR is not only found in Lagos offices or among high-net-worth individuals. It also resides in lecture theatres, research centres, and university communities, places where real transformation begins.
Let us not continue to sideline the intellectual engine room of our profession. Instead, let us celebrate all contributors, both those in the limelight and those in the background, so that the next generation may know that excellence is not defined by location or wealth, but by impact, integrity, and influence.
Thank you once again for your commitment to the growth of public relations in Nigeria. I trust that this feedback will be taken in good faith and used to inform a more inclusive and balanced approach in future editions.
With highest regards,
Ademola Adesoji, MNIPR
Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Osun State Chapter
