The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has unveiled the 2026 Lagos Public Relations Industry Gala and Awards (LAPRIGA), with organisers promising greater emphasis on innovation, originality, professional excellence and measurable impact.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for 11 December 2026 at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, under the theme, “Redefining Innovation and Influence”.
Chairman of the Lagos NIPR, Dr Samuel Ayetutu, announced the event at a media briefing, saying the theme reflected significant changes in public relations and the wider communications industry.
He said the growing convergence of public relations, advertising, digital communications, content creation, technology and brand management had made it necessary for practitioners to rethink how they create value and influence audiences.
“Innovation is no longer simply about doing something new. It is about doing something differently, intelligently and meaningfully, in ways that solve problems, create value and deliver measurable impact,” Ayetutu said.
He noted that influence was increasingly being determined by credibility, relevance, authenticity and audience engagement rather than the size of an organisation’s media budget or its presence in traditional media.
According to him, artificial intelligence, data analytics, social listening and automation are also changing how communication professionals research, develop, distribute and evaluate their work.
“Technology has given practitioners unprecedented opportunities to reach and engage audiences, but it has also created new responsibilities,” he said.
Ayetutu added that the growing ability of artificial intelligence to produce content rapidly had increased the value placed on originality, authenticity and professional insight.
He said LAPRIGA 2026 would therefore focus on creativity, value and impact rather than activity or visibility alone.
“The question is no longer simply, ‘Can we create content?’ The more important question is, ‘Can we create something original, authentic, insightful and consequential?’” he said.
New categories introduced
The 2026 awards will feature new and expanded categories intended to reflect changes in the communications profession.
Categories include PR Agency of the Year, Public Service PR Campaign of the Year, Brand PR Campaign of the Year, PR Excellence in Issues and Crisis Management, Best Innovative Technology Deployment in PR and Most Influential PR Professional of the Year.
Other categories cover workplace development, community relations, sustainability communication, professional training and tertiary education.
Honorary awards will also include Lagos PR Personality of the Year and the Lifetime PR Contribution Award.
Ayetutu commended the LAPRIGA 2026 Awards Selection Committee, chaired by Dr Dare Ogunyombo, for reviewing the categories to make them more representative of contemporary communication practice.
Ogunyombo said the judging process would prioritise strategy, creativity, execution and measurable results.
Entries will be assessed on strategy and objectives, creativity and innovation, execution and implementation, as well as impact and measurement.
He said the framework also recognises emerging areas such as the use of technology and artificial intelligence in public relations, crisis communication, sustainability, community relations, workplace communication, professional education and thought leadership.
Entries open on 31 August
The organisers said entries for the 2026 awards would open on Monday, 31 August and close on Wednesday, 30 September 2026.
Eligible entries must relate to public relations and marketing communication campaigns, activities or programmes initiated and completed between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026.
The Lagos NIPR urged practitioners, agencies, corporate organisations, government institutions and other eligible stakeholders to submit work demonstrating professional excellence and measurable results.
Chairman of the LAPRIGA 2026 Planning and Fund-Raising Committee, Mr Tope Akande, said the committee was working to deliver what he described as the strongest edition of the awards to date.
He said attention was being given to planning, stakeholder engagement, partnerships and guest experience, while encouraging professionals and organisations across the communications sector to participate.
The awards ceremony is expected to bring together public relations practitioners, advertising professionals, corporate communicators, journalists, government communication specialists, brand managers, digital communication experts, academics and business leaders.
Ayetutu said the awards were intended not only to recognise individual and organisational achievements but also to encourage higher professional standards across the industry.
“Recognition matters. When we recognise excellence, we encourage excellence. When we celebrate innovation, we inspire others to innovate,” he said.
He expressed confidence that LAPRIGA 2026 would establish a new benchmark for the awards and further strengthen Lagos’ reputation as a hub for professional communication excellence.
