The Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Comfort Obot Nwankwo, has called on public relations professionals to collaborate to advance the sustainability agenda in Nigeria and beyond.
She made this call at the 11th annual Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference held recently at the MUSON Center, Lagos in her welcome address.
She said, ”At a time when the world is grappling with the unprecedented challenges posed by climate change, the role of communication in driving the sustainability agenda cannot be overstated. As public relations professionals, we are at the forefront of shaping narratives, influencing perceptions, and mobilizing actions that can lead to a more sustainable future. “
On his part, the Conference Convener and CEO of Addefort Limited, Olabamiji Adeleye underlined the need for urgent and proactive actions to save the planet.
He said, “In line with the United Nations Sustainable Department Goals, we are concerned about the need to protect the planet from degradation, stakeholders’ commitment to sustainable consumption and production, managing natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations.”
Speaking at the conference, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State represented by Tokunbo Philip Wahab, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources used the platform to call for more involvement of key stakeholders in the campaign to protect the environment.
He charged stakeholders at the event to take personal responsibility for sustainability in their respective spaces, while restating the government’s commitment to collaborating with necessary stakeholders in combating the effects of climate change within the state.
In his words, “The reality of climate change is here, and its impacts are felt across the globe, and Lagos is witnessing her share of the devastating impacts. If we do not take urgent action, these events will only become more frequent and severe.”
On the theme of the conference, he noted that “Communication is not just a tool; it is the foundation upon which we can build a sustainable future. It is the lifeblood of any society. I dare say that it shapes our perceptions, drives our decisions, and connects us across geographical, cultural, and social divides”.
Delivering his keynote address, Dr. Onoja Joseph, DG of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) urged PR professionals and the government to be proactive in addressing the challenges associated with climate change including leveraging effective communication strategies. He tasked PR professionals to break down the terminologies related to climate change; the environment and sustainability to enable citizens to understand the consequences of their actions to the environment.
He also called for storytelling, more sensitization initiatives, planting of trees, and collaboration to ensure that actions are taken and communities, where a sustainable project or trees are planted, see it as their own and protect it.
Experts and delegates at the conference underlined the role of communication in the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability crusade.
At the panel session, experts also called for a rethinking of the present communication campaign strategy on climate change, which has been treated as an abstract issue. It was agreed that communication should be able to connect social actions, behaviour and lifestyle to Climate Change. “We need to know that our actions have consequences”.
They said that public relations professionals should tailor our campaign messages to align with the daily activities of our target audience; communicate that environmental degradation is cyclical and will inevitably affect us all; educate the public about Nigerian environmental conservation laws; highlight the consequences of both actions and inactions on the environment.
They also called for the domestication of solutions, reaching school children with the right messages, engaging traditional rulers, advocating that manufacturers develop sustainable products and packaging, and topics on climate change and the environment should be put in schools’ curricula.