The need for formidable synergy and professionalism among Public Relations Officers across the colleges and institutes of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has been brought to the fore.
This follows the endorsement of the newly formed Association of Agricultural Research Institutes and Colleges Public Relations Officers (AARIC-PRO) by the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Dr. Adamu Abubakar Dabban.
Dr. Dabban gave his support while receiving the pioneer executive members of the association in his office on Tuesday during a courtesy visit aimed at seeking institutional backing for the professionalisation and strategic integration of Public Relations Officers across research institutes and colleges within the ARCN ecosystem.
The meeting followed an earlier correspondence titled “Introduction and Request for Courtesy Visit: Strategic Re-Engineering and Professional Integration of Public Relations within the ARCN Ecosystem.”
The Founding National Coordinator of AARIC-PRO and Public Relations Officer, ARCN, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Khadija Ameen, introduced the newly established association and outlined its objective to reposition Public Relations from a conventional information service unit into a strategic management support function capable of advancing institutional visibility, strengthening stakeholder confidence, and supporting national priorities in agriculture, food security and economic development.
She noted that the initiative aligns with the Executive Secretary’s communication and visibility objectives observed during his nationwide familiarization tour of institutes and colleges within the ARCN ecosystem last year.
Founding members present at the meeting included Asagunla Oluwafunke (Federal College of Agriculture, Akure), Aishatu Samaila (Federal College of Horticulture, Dadinkowa) and Ogunderu Olugbenga I. (Federal Cooperative College, Ibadan).
Responding, the Executive Secretary described the initiative as timely and strategic for strengthening institutional communication, visibility and coordinated information management across the system.
He urged AARIC-PRO to submit a formal proposal for approval, supported by a memo from the Directorate of Administration.
He added that the Council would issue directives to Provosts and Heads of Institutions to establish substantive Public Relations offices, provide appropriate working tools and support structured capacity development.
Dr. Dabban further stated that Public Relations Officers across colleges and institutes would function as outstation communication representatives of ARCN and operate within a coordinated strategic communication network supporting the Office of the Executive Secretary.
He emphasised that professionalism “has come to stay” and advised all Public Relations Officers to obtain certification with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) within a six-month window to standardise practice across institutions.
Also speaking, the Director of Administration, Mrs. Kalimat Balogun, commended the initiative, noting that it came at the right time. Drawing from her background in broadcast media and institutional communication, she underscored the importance of structured Public Relations units for improved institutional projection and visibility and encouraged institutions to establish functional offices aligned with the AARIC-PRO framework.
As part of the outcomes of the visit, it was agreed that quarterly coordination meetings for Public Relations Officers across the ecosystem would be instituted, alongside regular reporting of communication activities from institutions and sustained capacity building through trainings, workshops and conferences. Institutions were also encouraged to produce quarterly magazines highlighting achievements, research outputs and key institutional milestones, with copies submitted to ARCN.
In addition, a collaborative ecosystem publication featuring contributions from all colleges was proposed. Hajia Aisha announced during the meeting that her institution’s maiden magazine would soon be published and formally presented to the Executive Secretary.
On the proposed maiden AARIC-PRO conference scheduled for October 2026, the Executive Secretary expressed strong support and urged the association to commence preparations immediately, indicating his interest in participating.
The AARIC-PRO proposal, as agreed, will be forwarded to the Director of Administration for processing and subsequent adoption across the ARCN ecosystem, marking a significant step toward institutionalising Public Relations as a strategic management function within agricultural research and training institutions nationwide.
