The Federal Government has urged communication professionals to use fact-based public relations to counter false claims of a so-called genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the National Unveiling of the World Public Relations Forum (WPRF) Abuja 2026. He warned that Nigeria’s image faces serious reputational attacks from foreign groups pushing divisive narratives to undermine the country’s unity.
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“We must come to terms with existential reputational threats to our national brand, in which external purveyors of untruth are mischaracterizing our nation as a destination for persecution,” the Minister said. “For the umpteenth time, I am emphatic that there’s no iota of truth in the claim of a ‘Christian Genocide’ in Nigeria.”
Idris urged public relations experts and the media to adopt communication rooted in truth, empathy, and national responsibility. He stressed that “in this digital era, words now travel faster than thought, and opinions often outrun truth,” adding that responsible communication is a moral duty for all practitioners.
Linking the call to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister said rebuilding public trust requires openness, engagement, and transparency. He described communication as “the lifeblood of that trust.”
Highlighting Nigeria’s hosting of the World Public Relations Forum 2026, Idris said the event positions the country as “the biggest, brightest, and boldest voice for ethical and responsible communication in Africa and beyond.”
He commended the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) for securing the hosting rights, noting that it affirms Nigeria’s leadership in communication ethics.
“Let this unveiling today be a call to conscience,” Idris said. “To practitioners: hold the line of truth. To the media: inform with integrity. To public officers: communicate with transparency. To citizens: speak with empathy.”
He expressed optimism that WPRF Abuja 2026 will mark a turning point in reshaping Nigeria’s global image.
“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria is reshaping its global image. Let this Forum be remembered as the moment when Africa’s largest democracy led the world in defining what it means to communicate with conscience,” he said.
