PR Fundamentals advances Nigerian PR industry – Maduegbuna
…As C&F graduates third batch of Interns
Leading Communications Consultancy firm, C&F Porter Novelli, has said that its PR Fundamentals Internship programme, is designed to help fill the talent gaps that exist in the public relations industry in Nigeria. N’nemeka Maduegbuna, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the company made the remarks at the graduation ceremony of the third batch of the PR interns held in Lekki on July 25, 2014. Maduegbuna observed that talent is one of the biggest challenges that the industry is facing, and that which needs to be urgently addressed to ensure that the industry fulfils is objective of providing world-class communications advisory to private and public institutions in the country. “The objective of PR Fundamentals is to foster talent in young Nigerians and drive the Nigerian public relations industry into a new generation. The programme continues to be an industry guarantor of excellence in training entry-level employees Beyond talent development, the programme seeks to generate thought leadership on growing the industry,” said Maduegbuna.
He observed that the programme, since inception, has continued to produce qualitative personnel and services. “Given a deficit of public relations talent in Nigeria, I believe that the PR Fundamentals Internship Programme has provided us at C&F Porter Novelli with a vehicle for contributing to the advancement of the Nigerian public relations industry,” he continued.
He charged the graduating interns to bring their acquired knowledge of the profession to bear in their future endeavors in order to become good ambassadors of Public Relations. He also thanked the media for the part they played in the education of participants in the PR Fundamentals Internship Programme.
Also speaking at the event, Victoria Nwoji, C&F Porter Novelli’s Head of Human Resources and Programme Coordinator, described the programme as that which equips young talents for the communication industry. For her, “The sole aim of the programme is to complement the learning young graduates acquired in their respective tertiary institutions by giving them the practical experience necessary to effectively function as PR practitioners.”
She informed that the programme is structured to encompass classroom courses such as introduction to public relations, Nigeria media landscape, public relations consulting, and reputation management 101 among others; and a practical and experiential course that allows the interns acquire hands-on public relations experience, gaining exposure to areas such as client management, media relations, press and website content development, events management and perception studies etc”. She informed that arrangements are ongoing for the engagement of the 2014/2015 session of the PR Fundamentals Internship Programme as the company is currently receiving applications and will announce the successful candidates at the end of the recruitment process.
The graduating interns, Okeroghene Egbi, Femi Farinde and Temitope Olajiga expressed delight and appreciation to C&F Porter Novelli for the opportunity given to them to learn PR practice and getting paid in the process. They lauded the programme and described it as a great opportunity to lunch into PR practice.
About PR Fundamentals
The PR Fundamentals Internship Programme is a C&F Porter Novelli initiative to foster talent in young Nigerians and drive the Nigerian Public Relations industry into a new generation. It offers young graduates the opportunity to spend 12 months working and learning at C&F Porter Novelli, one of Nigeria’s leading Public Relations’ agencies, which has been in the business of reputation building and management consultancy since 1991.
Recognized by the Porter Novelli network as one of the top 10 innovative ideas of 2011, the PR Fundamentals Internship Programme is committed to building the highest standard of professional excellence and integrity, not just within the agency but throughout the industry. As part of that commitment C&F Porter Novelli is actively reinvesting in the industry’s most profitable assets – people.