NIPR President Advocates Constructive Patriotism, Says Leaders No Longer Trusted by Citizens 

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neilaku, has called for constructive patriotism among the people, saying there is trust deficit by the citizens on the government.

He stated this at the NIPR 2025, 4th Quarter Induction in Abuja, weekend where 448 new members of the institute were inducted.

Neilaku, in his speech, said the present situation in the country was because citizens no longer trust government and charged both the new inductees, fellows and council members to be trust builders

“You must be builders of trust. Trust is Nigeria’s most vulnerable, yet most fragile currency. We are where we are because we no longer trust our government.

“We don’t trust those who are leading us. Even when they say they are going this direction, and you expect that they will go this direction, you still don’t trust them until they prove otherwise. Whereas in other places, you trust them.

“The otherwise is that they will now do something wrong. But in our case, we don’t trust them until they now show us the reason for them to be trusted. So I am speaking to you that you have to be builders of trust.

“Every message you craft, every campaign you manage, every stakeholder you engage must increase trust, not erode trust. You must be interpreters between government and people. Public relations is the bridge between leadership and citizens.

When you lose that role, you create a wide vacuum.”  Neilaku said.

He further admonished: “You must help government to get people to listen better. And you must also help the citizens to understand what government is doing, and encourage government to understand what the citizens are saying.”

He warned public relations practitioners not to see those who critique government as enemies of government.

“You must not allow yourself to take those that speak against government as if they are haters of government. Government must be critiqued when their policies are not going well. There is a difference between critique and criticism.

“In public relations, we critique to show where it is wrong and suggest how it can be made better,” he said.

Neliaku noted that all nations face challenges, adding that the difference is how the challenges are managed.

“We have our challenges, no doubt, but like other nations, we all have our challenges. Other nations have their challenges. The only difference is that they manage their challenges better, and they do it in a way that the integrity of the nation is not compromised.

“But in our own, we are very quick to celebrate our shortcomings and our deficiencies. As professionals, we must project a balanced, confident and forward-looking Nigerian narrative.

“This is a time for constructive patriotism. I must warn that patriotism does not mean blind loyalty. It means honest engagement.

“It means responsible communication. It means responsible critique. It means solution-driven communication. Nigeria needs communicators who heal, not communicators who hide; communicators who explain; not communicators who exploit our challenges, our differences, and so on and so forth. Nigeria needs communicators who build bridges, not those who echo individual chambers,” he said.

On the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) that Nigeria will host in November 2026, he said: “As we look ahead, the eyes of the world will soon turn to Nigeria. Because, as you have heard, we are hosting the World Public Relations Forum in 2026. This is not just going to be an event.

“It is a global endorsement and referendum of Nigeria’s capability, Nigeria’s credibility, and Nigeria’s confidence.”