L – R: Chairman, Awards Selection Committee, Dr Oludare Ogunyombo; Chairman, Planning and Fund Raising Committee, Tope Akande; Chairman, Lagos NIPR, Dr Samuel Ayetutu, fnipr; and Vice-Chairman, Lagos NIPR, Eniola Mayowa, fnipr.
The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced Friday, December 11, 2026 as the date for the 2026 Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LaPRIGA).
The awards ceremony will take place at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, under the theme, “Redefining Innovation and Influence.”
The Lagos NIPR made the announcement at a media briefing held to unveil the 2026 edition, which is expected to recognise outstanding work and contributions across Nigeria’s public relations and wider communication industry.
Chairman of the Lagos NIPR, Dr. Samuel Ayetutu, said the theme reflects the changes taking place across public relations, advertising, digital communication, content creation, technology and brand management.
He said the boundaries between these disciplines are becoming increasingly fluid, requiring communication professionals to rethink how they create value and influence audiences.
“Innovation is no longer simply about doing something new. It is about doing something differently, intelligently and meaningfully, in ways that solve problems, create value and deliver measurable impact,” Ayetutu said.
According to him, influence in the current communication environment is increasingly driven by credibility, relevance, authenticity and engagement rather than the size of an organisation’s media budget or its presence in traditional media.
He also pointed to the growing role of artificial intelligence, data analytics, social listening and automation in changing how communication professionals research, create, distribute and measure campaigns.
Ayetutu said the increased use of AI has also placed greater value on originality and authenticity, particularly as technology makes it possible to generate content at unprecedented speed.
“The question is no longer simply, ‘Can we create content?’ The more important question is, ‘Can we create something original, authentic, insightful and consequential?’” he said.
LaPRIGA 2026 will feature new and expanded categories covering different areas of contemporary public relations and communication practice.
The categories include PR Agency of the Year, Public Service PR Campaign of the Year, Brand PR Campaign of the Year, PR Excellence in Issues and Crisis Management and Best Innovative Technology Deployment in PR.
Other categories include Most Influential PR Professional of the Year, Best Workplace Development PR Initiative, Community Relations Excellence, Sustainability PR and Communication, PR Educator (Tertiary) of the Year and PR Trainer (Professional Development) of the Year.
The awards will also feature honorary recognitions, including Lagos PR Personality of the Year and the Lifetime PR Contribution Award.
Chairman of the LaPRIGA 2026 Awards Selection Committee, Dr. Dare Ogunyombo, said the expanded categories were developed to reflect the growing scope of communication practice.
He said the selection process would focus on strategy, creativity, execution and measurable impact, rather than visibility alone.
Entries will be assessed across Strategy and Objectives, Creativity and Innovation, Execution and Implementation, and Impact and Measurement.
The framework will also cover emerging areas including the use of technology and artificial intelligence in public relations, crisis management, sustainability communication, community relations, workplace communication, professional education and thought leadership.
Entries for LaPRIGA 2026 will open on Monday, August 31, 2026 and close on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Eligible entries must relate to PR and marketing communication campaigns, activities and programmes initiated and concluded between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.
Chairman of the LaPRIGA 2026 Planning and Fund-Raising Committee, Tope Akande, said the committee was working towards delivering what he described as the best edition of the awards yet.
He said attention was being given to planning, stakeholder engagement, partnerships and guest experience ahead of the December ceremony.
The Lagos NIPR is encouraging public relations practitioners, agencies, corporate organisations, government institutions and other eligible stakeholders to submit their work for consideration.
Beyond the awards, LaPRIGA 2026 is expected to bring together PR practitioners, advertising professionals, corporate communicators, journalists, government communication specialists, brand managers, digital communication professionals, academics and business leaders.
Ayetutu described the awards as more than an evening of recognition, arguing that celebrating strong professional work could encourage higher standards across the industry.
The 2026 edition is therefore positioned around recognising communication work that demonstrates originality, strategic thinking, innovation and measurable influence, as the Lagos NIPR seeks to further strengthen professional standards within the communication industry.
