Kaduna State has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Nigeria Public Relations Week, following Governor Uba Sani’s acceptance of the bid presented by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Receiving the NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, and his delegation at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Governor Sani assured that the Kaduna edition would be one of the most remarkable in the event’s history.
He disclosed that the state government would nominate two officials to serve on the national planning committee and three others on the local organising committee to ensure a seamless experience.
The governor described the theme for the 2026 edition, “Food Security: From Policy Paper to Public Plates – The Public Relations Imperatives,” as timely and in line with the Kaduna Peace Model, which emphasises non-kinetic approaches to peacebuilding.
Governor Sani noted that his administration had prioritised agricultural development as a pathway to sustainable peace and economic stability, raising the sector’s budgetary allocation from less than one per cent to 12 per cent above the 10 per cent Malabo Declaration benchmark.
“Agriculture now contributes 43 per cent to Kaduna State’s GDP and employs about 60 per cent of our population,” he said, adding that over 500,000 hectares of land had been reclaimed with farmers returning to their fields.
He further highlighted ongoing initiatives, including the establishment of a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone and a partnership with Afreximbank to set up an Agricultural Quality Assurance Centre to enhance post-harvest processes and market access.
Governor Sani also noted improvements in security and infrastructure across the state, revealing that 192 primary healthcare centres and all previously closed schools had been reopened, while peace had returned to areas like Birnin Gwari and Giwa.
He added that the UK government recently upgraded Kaduna’s security status from “red” to “amber,” reflecting restored confidence in the state’s safety.
In his remarks, Dr. Neliaku said Kaduna was chosen after a rigorous evaluation process, with Kano as the alternate host. He noted that the 2026 edition would be pivotal as it precedes Nigeria’s hosting of the World Public Relations Forum later that year, the second time the global event would hold in Africa and the first in Nigeria.
He also revealed that NIPR, in partnership with the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, was working to establish the world’s first University of Public Relations and Leadership.
