By Queen Nwabueze
Welcome to PR in Nigeria where everybody is doing “public relations,” but nobody is relating to the publics.
In fact, let’s tell ourselves the truth:
If you collect brief from most corporate communications teams in this country, all they’ll say is:
“We want you to push out this press release. Send it to Linda Ikeji. Send it everywhere!”
That’s it. No strategy. No context. No narrative.
Just push it out and tag a few blogs.
It’s like buying a fire extinguisher after the building has burnt down, then holding a press conference to say,
“We are deeply committed to fire safety.”
What happened to real PR – Public Relations?
The one that manages perception, builds long-term goodwill and keeps brands respected even in chaos?
It’s dead.
Dead and buried under a mountain of copy-paste press releases.
But here’s the resurrection story.
let’s even look at reputation management in Nigeria: What it has become and what it truly should be.
1. Press Release ≠ Public Relations
Let’s separate the chaff from the beans, shall we?
A press release is a tool.
Public Relations is the craft.
Press release is what you write.
PR is what people remember when they hear your name.
Here’s the difference:
Press Release PR (Public Relations)
We just opened a new office We’re reshaping the way people bank
Our CEO attended an event Our brand is aligned with industry leadership
We donated to flood victims We are a responsible corporate citizen
Press releases are momentary.
PR is memory.
If all your strategy in ACTUALITY ends with, “Send it to ThisDay,” you’re playing.
2. Dear Nigerian Brands, Your Reputation Is Not the Story You Tell, it’s the Story People Tell About You
Let that sink in. (Begging this time around).
In Nigeria, brands are obsessed with broadcasting, not connecting.
They want to “inform the public,” but they never listen to the public.
Real PR is built on relationships. It’s in the name: Public relations.
You must relate to the people who carry your reputation in their mouths – your publics.
Let’s be practical.
In 2023, a certain fast-rising FMCG company had a viral issue: A customer allegedly found something weird inside their bottle product. It blew up on X.
Their “PR” response?
“We have noted the complaint and are investigating.”
Then… silence.
No follow-up. No customer empathy. No active engagement.
They treated a potential brand crisis like they were replying email.
That’s not PR. That’s PR failure.
3. The Media Are Not Your PR Team
Another popular sickness: Nigerian brands think sending stories to Punch and Channels is PR strategy.
They hire PR agencies and say things like:
“Please get us on Arise TV.”
“Can you help us trend this hashtag?”
“Make sure it’s on all the blogs.”
That’s not strategy. That’s spray and pray.
No audience mapping. No stakeholder sentiment review. No message alignment. No crisis prep.
Just: “Push am make e enter news.”
Let’s be real: Many of our brand managers and PR leads are building reputations based on media mentions, not public impact.
You’re in the news but not in the hearts.
You trend today, but nobody trusts you tomorrow.
4. Real PR Is Stakeholder Management, Not Just Media Management
You can buy media space.
You can’t buy public trust.
In 2021, when Flutterwave faced major Twitter backlash over alleged internal issues, they didn’t rush to drop a press release.
They understood the terrain.
They engaged multiple stakeholders – employees, tech ecosystem, partners, media houses.
Even when silence felt risky, they used controlled communication, humanised responses and timing to manage the situation.
That’s PR.
Compare that to some Nigerian banks that still drop the same lifeless template after fraud allegations:
“We assure our customers of our commitment to safety and integrity.”
Haba. Can we breathe?
Stakeholders today want:
• Access
• Transparency
• Emotion
• Proactivity
PR is the bridge. If you can’t walk it, your brand reputation will fall.
5. Crisis Comms Is Not a PR Side Hustle, It’s the Whole Job
In Nigeria, the typical PR approach to crisis is:
“Ignore them. It will blow over.”
But reputation doesn’t blow over. It stacks up.
From X call-outs to angry WhatsApp groups, people are building narratives about your brand with or without you.
If you’re not in charge of your story, someone else will write it for you.
Let’s recall Air Peace and their handling of aviation-related backlash.
Love them or hate them, you can’t deny one thing:
They always show up with a voice.
They don’t leave their image to chance. They issue statements fast. They explain, they defend and sometimes, they even double down (na their style be that).
But at least, they don’t ghost the public.
That’s PR muscle.
6. PR Is Narrative Engineering, Not Just Event Reporting
Let’s talk about Moniepoint again.
These people understand what many don’t:
Your brand isn’t what you say. It’s what people feel when your name is mentioned in a room you’re not in.
Their PR is deliberate. Their messaging is targeted.
Whether they’re sponsoring tech events, featuring in startup conversations, or publishing thought leadership content, there’s a clear narrative:
“We power the real economy. We support MSMEs. We get it done.”
They’re not telling 17 different stories. They’re building one unified perception across channels.
That’s PR.
Not just “We were featured on Guardian.”
7. If Your PR Isn’t Internal, It’s Already Failed
Most Nigerian companies don’t understand this:
Your first public is your people.
Your employees. Your vendors. Your trade partners.
They are walking PR machines, good or bad.
You can sponsor all the award shows in Nigeria, but if your internal staff says you’re toxic or your vendors are crying over unpaid dues, your PR is leaking.
In fact, 90% of reputation crises in Nigeria come from internal lapses.
Yet, most PR strategies don’t even factor in internal communications, team engagement, or culture-building.
That’s why one disgruntled ex-employee with an X thread can crumble your entire year of “strategic PR activations.”
8. PR Is Not for When Things Go Bad. It’s for When Things Are Still Good
Too many Nigerian brands treat PR like a fire brigade.
They don’t build brand capital in peace time.
So when wahala shows face, they’re broke, reputation-wise.
Real PR builds goodwill ahead of time.
It earns benefit of doubt.
So that when your name appears in scandal, your stakeholders say:
“Hmm, we know them. Let’s wait and hear from them first.”
But if you’ve never told a consistent story, never shown transparency, never related with your public, they will roast you without blinking.
Because you haven’t earned the right to be heard.
9. Nigerian PR Must Evolve from “What Happened?” to “What Do We Want People to Believe?”
This is not manipulation or spinning. It’s narrative leadership.
Brands must stop waiting to react to the news cycle. They must create meaning. Shape conversation. Drive context.
You’re not in PR just to correct rumours. You’re in PR to own the conversation.
You’re not just a story cleaner. You’re the story architect.
If you don’t shape perception, perception will shape you.
10. Final Word From Queen Nwabueze’s Sufferhead Marketing™:
“If all your PR effort ends with sending a story to a blog, then sorry, what you’re doing is not Public Relations. It’s Public Routine.”
The Nigerian public is evolving.
They want brands with backbone, with empathy, with real stories.
It’s time for PR professionals to stop being megaphones and start being architects of trust.
Because when the press release expires, what will your brand still stand for?
That’s the real PR question.
Let’s bring reputation management back to life.
Not with press releases.
But with presence.
With perception.
With power.
Over to you, PR warriors. Let’s do the work.
