NIPR members to play a key role in selecting LaPRIGA 2022 winners

The seventh edition of the annual Lagos Public Relations Industry Awards and Gala (LaPRIGA), which will take place on Friday, December 2, 2022, will see a greater participation from public relations professionals in the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Lagos Chapter Chairman Mrs Comfort Obot Okonkwo made the announcement at a press briefing on Thursday, July 7th, 2022.

Mrs Nwankwo underlined the imperative of participation in the exercise, comparing the scheme to a beauty contest. “The only ones who win in a beauty contest are those who participate. They are not necessarily the only beautiful ones, but they are the ones who step out to contest”, she stated.

 LaPRIGA is the Oscars of the PR industry. It seeks to enthrone professionalism and best practices in public relations in Nigeria, starting from Lagos.

Awards Panel chairman, Mr Chido Nwakanma said the seventh LaPRIGA would be more inclusive and rigorous. The panel seeks to get greater involvement of the members in nominating and voting for outstanding performers.

Nwakanma declared, “We announce for LaPRIGA 2022 the addition of six more categories to the awards scheme. The new awards recognise the growing diversification of public relations into many new areas as one of the essential management disciplines in the modern world.

“The new categories are Best in Technology Public Relations, Best in Public Relations Education, Best in Hospitality PR, Best in Political Communication, Best in Entertainment PR, and the Best Use of Research & Measurement.”

The existing categories include Public Relations Practitioner of the year, Corporate Communication Professional of the Year, Most Influential PR professional, and Outstanding Public Affairs Practitioner of the Year.

Others are the Best brand in storytelling, the Best innovation in Public Relations, Digital and social media agency of the Year, Rising Public Relations Practitioner of the Year, Best in Crisis and Risk Communication and Excellence in Internal Communication & Employee Engagement.

Professionals would win for Excellence in Community Relations, Best in Political Communication, Best in Corporate Social Responsibility, and Best Supporter of PR. LaPRIGA would recognise the Agency of the year, Model Agency of all time, Public Relations Journalist of the year, and Photo & Video Journalist of the Year.

Another feature of the 2022 LaPRIGA according to Nwakanma is the more stringent criteria for the awards.  He said, “Our more stringent criteria demand inclusion and community participation” and pointed to examples of the tough criteria.

Agency of the year.  It would be

• A Firm demonstrating the best use of public relations in the service of clients
• The highest number of new account wins.
• The firm whose staff get the most nominations/awards at LaPRIGA

Practitioner of the Year

• Reckoning in at least three areas of public relations.
• Leader of an agency or team which gets the most nominations/awards in Lapriga during the year
• Voted as best by peers.

Best brand in storytelling. The criterion is “success in making the brand’s story part of the national conversation”.