The African Public Relations Association (APRA) has been honoured with the Africa PR
Legacy Award in recognition of its enduring contribution to the growth, development
and advancement of public relations across the African continent.
The award was presented to APRA at the 2026 ASCOM Communication Summit and
Awards, held on 17 September 2026 at CRRAE UMOA in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. APRA
is the first organisation to receive the Africa PR Legacy Award.
APRA’s nomination was submitted by a Paris-based communications company
specialising in African communication systems and landscapes.
Following
consideration of nominations in the category, the jury recognised APRA’s 50-year
legacy and sustained commitment to professional unity, standardisation, collaboration
and continuous dialogue within the public relations profession across Africa.
In notifying APRA of the award, ASCOM highlighted the Association’s vision and
resilience in building a continental professional body with a presence across Africa and
its consistent efforts to bring practitioners together to reflect on the present and
future of public relations.
Speaking at the Summit, Michel Russel Lohore, Chief Executive Officer of ASCOM,
commended APRA for its longstanding role in strengthening collaboration among
public relations professionals across African countries and promoting accountable
public relations and strategic communication as important contributors to Africa’s
development.
Receiving the award on behalf of APRA President, Mr. Arik Karani, APRA Secretary
General Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan expressed appreciation to ASCOM, the award jury and
the nominators for the recognition.
He said the award was a significant affirmation of APRA’s five-decade contribution to
the profession and its continuing commitment to strengthening public relations.
This recognition is a tribute to the generations of public relations practitioners who
have contributed to building APRA and advancing our profession across Africa.
It also
reinforces our responsibility to ensure that APRA remains a platform for professional
collaboration, knowledge exchange, ethical practice and the continuous advancement
of public relations on the continent,” Dr. Ibietan said.
The Africa PR Legacy Award comes as APRA begins the next chapter of its 50-year
journey, with the Association reaffirming its commitment to strengthening
collaboration with governments, professional bodies, partners and communication practitioners across Africa.
