Celebrating Progress, Confronting Challenges: A Call for Broader Engagement
On behalf of the Lapriga Awards Selection Committee and the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, we express our sincere gratitude to every member who contributed to the 2025 awards cycle. Your ongoing enthusiasm affirms the importance of peer recognition and the bright future of our profession in Lagos.
We are pleased to report strong engagement, with 105 entries across 19 award categories, and an overall quality of submissions that reaches a high standard.
This reflects the dedicated effort of practitioners and the increasing prestige of the Lapriga Awards.
However, our analysis reveals critical patterns that require our collective attention to ensure the awards’ continued growth and inclusivity.
Observations from the 2025 Submission Process
1. Submission Trends: A surge in entries occurred after the official deadline, surpassing those received during the regular submission period. This pattern of last-minute participation introduces unnecessary risks and complicates the administrative process.
2. Adherence to Guidelines: Despite clear criteria, a considerable number of entries were incorrectly categorised (e.g., Community Relations Excellence submitted for the Sustainability Award). Additionally, many submissions were incomplete, lacking the necessary supporting materials—some entries deserving of awards were excluded on this basis.
3. Participation Gap: The Committee notes with concern the limited involvement of public relations professionals within Corporate Nigeria and leading agencies. An overly familiar group of entrants persists, not fully reflecting the diversity of competition and talent within Lagos State’s PR community.
A Constructive Call to Our Professional Community
The “inverted pride” or hesitation to seek peer validation weakens the collective credibility and growth of our discipline.
In this Information Age, where the demand for strategic public relations has never been higher, we must actively promote our own standards of excellence.
We, therefore, issue a heartfelt appeal: let us embrace a culture of confident self-representation. Submitting your work for scrutiny is a professional stride, not a vulnerability. To those who hesitated this year, we encourage you to join the fold.
Path Forward and Commitments
• For applicants, we urge careful review of submission requirements and timely entry.
• For the Committee, we will re-evaluate categories with low or no entries and enhance communication to clarify criteria.
Congratulations and Closing
To the 2025 winners: accept our deepest congratulations. Your achievement is merited and celebrated. To those who submitted stellar work but did not win: your contributions raised the bar, and we eagerly anticipate your entries next year.
We encourage everyone here tonight to network, celebrate your colleagues, and carry forward the dialogue on elevating our profession.
Enjoy the evening.
Chido Nwakanma
Chairman, Lapriga Awards Selection Committee
