By Adamu Yusuf
The Head of Corporate Relations at the New Nigeria Development Company Limited (NNDC), Malam Mohammed Abdullahi, has emerged Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Abdullahi was elected during the Chapter’s Annual General Meeting and election held in Kaduna, where he succeeded the immediate past Chairman, Malam Haroun Malami.
The election ushered in a new Executive Committee saddled with the responsibility of consolidating the achievements of the outgoing administration and repositioning the Chapter for greater professional impact, stronger member engagement and enhanced visibility.
The AGM was held alongside the maiden Bashir Adamu Chedi Annual Memorial Lecture, instituted in honour of the late former Chairman and Council Member of the NIPR.
The lecture, titled “Bridging Generations: Strengthening Public Relations Through Mentorship,” was delivered by renowned public relations practitioner and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Public Relations Consultant of Nigeria (PRCAN), Dr. Nkechi Ali-Balogun.
The event attracted senior government officials, communication professionals, captains of industry and members of the diplomatic and business communities.
Among those who attended were the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the representative of the Kaduna State Governor and Commissioner for Information and Culture, Alhaji Ahmed Maiyaki; Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Malam Abdulhamid Dembos; Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Ndace, and Director-General of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali M. Ali.
Others included the President and Chairman of Council of the NIPR, represented by the Vice President, Professor Emmanuel Dandaura; former Vice President of NIPR, Dr. Mohammed A. Haruna, Alhaji Ahmed Sajor, and Registrar of the Institute, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, FNIPR, among other government officials and industry leaders.
The election was supervised by Professor Dandaura, Alhaji Sajor and Chief Onyegbadue, who also administered the Oath of Office to the newly elected officers.
Speaking at the occasion, the NIPR Registrar charged the new leadership to uphold the professional ethics and values of the Institute and deploy public relations strategically to advance development and strengthen public confidence in institutions.
In his acceptance speech, Muhammad Abdullahi pledged to run an inclusive, transparent and development-oriented administration, with members’ welfare and professional advancement at the centre of his leadership.
He said his administration would prioritise capacity building, continuous professional development, members’ welfare, financial sustainability, strategic stakeholder engagement and enhanced visibility for the Institute across Kaduna State.
The new Chairman expressed appreciation to members for entrusting him with the leadership of the Chapter and paid tribute to individuals who had contributed to his professional and leadership development.
He specifically acknowledged the mentorship of the immediate past Chairman, Malam Haroun Malami; the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Valuechain Group, Alhaji Musa Bashir Usman and Malam Abdulaziz Abdullahi, describing their guidance as instrumental to his professional journey.
Abdullahi also called on members to support the new Executive Committee, stressing that the success of the Chapter would depend on collective commitment, professional solidarity and active participation.
He further appealed to members to ensure prompt payment of their national and chapter dues, noting that financial sustainability was essential to the Chapter’s ability to implement quality programmes and provide effective support for members.
Editing by Khadija Kubau
