When I met her, I simply remarked that such an incident was not reflective of our culture, and she laughed it off with grace.

When I received the invitation to speak on crisis communication at the 20th International PR Congress in Lagos and learned that Esther Cobbah, the first African President of the International Public Relations Association, would also be in attendance I was genuinely excited. The annual Congress is far more than another conference; it is a gathering of senior public relations practitioners, academics, institutional leaders, and communication strategists, a forum where emerging professional practices are interrogated and excellence is celebrated.

For me, it was also an opportunity to share practical lessons and present my recent publications, including a research on AI in crisis communication within Nigerias public sector.

My schedule was tight. I planned to return to Abuja the next day to prepare for the National Spokespersons Awards and the Economic Confidential Annual Lecture. Yet, beyond professional duty, the journey carried a personal significance.

My participation at the Congress was made possible through the generous hospitality of a man whose contributions to public relations in Nigeria and Africa remain extraordinary Mazi Mike Okereke, President of BEEC International and Director of The Management School, London. He personally provided my return flight ticket and accommodation in Lagos.

That gesture is typical of a man who has spent decades opening professional doors for others. He was a gateway to international professional exposure. Through his programmes including the International School of Public Relations in London, he did not merely gain access to international platforms; he opened those doors for others. In my own case, Mazi Okereke recommended my nomination for membership of the then Institute of Public Relations (now CIPR) in the United Kingdom, as well as IPRA in the 1990s. Those relationships contributed to my career and continue to influence my work especially on crisis Communication.

His institutional footprints are equally remarkable. He served as President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the African Public Relations Association (APRA), while also holding leadership roles within the Nigerian Institute of Management and IPRA. Through these platforms, he projected Nigerian public relations practice beyond our borders.

The 20th International PR Congress is itself a testament to his persistence and vision. Sustaining such a gathering for twenty editions across shifting governments, economic uncertainties, and institutional challenges in African countries requires conviction, not just resources. It was therefore natural to be enthusiastic about attending this milestone edition.

Then came the morning of August 11, 2026 a day when a crisis communicator encountered a crisis firsthand. Arriving at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 6:30 a.m., two hours ahead of my scheduled Air Peace flight, I found the entrance gates padlocked, the departure hall deserted, and no official notification explaining what had happened or what would happen next.

In my luggage were copies of my publications on crisis communication the very subject I was travelling to discuss. Yet there I stood, books unopened, while stranded passengers milled around the forecourt without seating, information, or officials who could provide clarity.

The irony was not lost on me. Organised labour and major aviation unions had moved to enforce industrial action. Airline counters were inaccessible, gates sealed, check‑in suspended, and airline personnel unable to perform their duties.

Ironically, posters displayed around the entrance communicated the unions grievances more effectively than the airlines communicated with their own passengers.

The issues behind the dispute were not trivial they involved workers rights to unionise and disagreements over statutory financial obligations within the aviation sector. Yet, on a personal level, I frown at actions that jeopardise indigenous businesses and undermine the sacrifices of local investors sustaining our aviation industry.

But the strike exposed a deeper systemic failure: a breakdown in passenger communication. These were people who had purchased tickets, rearranged schedules, left their homes early, travelled to the airport only to discover at the gate that the services they paid for were unavailable.

In crisis communication, one basic principle applies: stakeholders should never learn about a crisis directly affecting them from a padlocked gate.

When I later checked my booking status, my flight appeared on the system but was marked as a past flight, with no option to check in and no explanation. A simple notification would have saved me the dawn trip to the airport.

Customer service channels, overwhelmed by distressed passengers, became unreachable precisely when they were needed most. That was the moment an industrial dispute turned into a communication crisis.

Information about a potential shutdown usually exists within the system long before the first gate is locked. The real question is who ensures that such information reaches passengers promptly. Crisis communication is anticipatory providing timely, credible updates that help stakeholders make informed decisions before the full impact hits them.

Missing the milestone PR Congress and the chance to honour a professional elder who shaped my international exposure would have been deeply disappointing. After nearly six hours without resolution, I booked a later ValueJet flight at almost twice my original fare, simply to secure a realistic chance of reaching Lagos.

Yet my personal inconvenience the wasted hours, extra costs, and disrupted itinerary was secondary to the larger institutional lesson. Some stranded passengers may have had international connections, medical appointments, examinations, interviews, funerals, weddings, court appearances, or business meetings. Disruptions may sometimes be unavoidable, but silence should never be.

Modern aviation possesses the infrastructure for automated alerts, real‑time updates, and coordinated communication. What is required is preparedness, coordination, and respect for passengers.

As I finally landed in Lagos, I resolved that my experience at the Abuja airport would become part of my presentation at the PR Congress. After all, the most memorable lessons in crisis communication are rarely found in textbooks or PowerPoint slides. They unfold before us in real time, among real people, with real consequences.

After my presentation with the aviation strike as my case study I learned that Esther Cobbahs flight from Ghana had also been affected. She arrived much later than scheduled, only to discover that her baggage had not arrived with the airline. It was an unnecessary ordeal for a distinguished guest.

When I met her, I simply remarked that such an incident was not reflective of our culture, and she laughed it off with grace. And on this occasion, the lesson was unmistakable: a crisis may be unavoidable, but communication failure is not.

Yushau A. Shuaib, Author of “Crisis Communication Strategies” and “MNI Versus MNIPR in NIPSS” www.YAShuaib.com

The post Mazi Okereke: The Aviation Strike and Lessons in Crisis Communication appeared first on YAShuaib.

“Congratulations for emerging a Finalist in the IPRA Golden World Awards for Excellence in PR 2020 with ‘NAF Women of War’ in the Category Crisis management.”

That was the message in an email received from Janice Hill, the Member Services Manager of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), notifying the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) of its campaign on gender balancing in the Nigerian military. The campaign had previously won the Public Sector/Government Category of African PR awards for Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement (SABRE) initially billed to hold at the Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA) in Dar es salaam, Tanzania in May this year, but which was postponed due to the raging COVID-19 pandemic that had claimed much ground across the world.

The first female combat helicopter pilot in Nigeria, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died in an unfortunate freak auto-accident on July 14 at the age of 24, was one of the prominent faces of the inspirational PR campaign.

Before her untimely death, Arotile’s outstanding profile and that of Kafayat Sanni, Nigeria’s first female fighter jet pilot, form part of NAF’s campaign on Women of War, in an attempt to eliminate the stereotypical notion that the military is dominated by men; and that more so women have no place in the combat operations of the armed forces.

The campaign was an initiative of the forward-looking and detribalised Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in rebranding the service as the most reputable, humane responsive military service in the African continent. Due to it uniqueness, the campaign had won several credible laurels, including African and global awards on reputation and crisis management in Rwanda and Armenia, only last year.

While the Air Chief is not given to playing to the gallery or engaging in contrived and incredible propaganda towards political ends, he takes great delight in projecting the earned reputation of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) as a progressive institution, through the exceptional efforts and gallantry of its personnel.

Through the video and other levels of narrative, the ‘Women of War’ campaign proved that “what a man can do, a woman can do better” by depicting how female inclusiveness in the military is paying off. Apart from Arotile and Kafayat, other top female officers were interviewed in a documentary, as the campaign was towards proffering answers to questions pertaining to the roles of women in the NAF, which have been unfairly underrated and unnecessarily burdened by distorted cultural expectations.

The campaign portrays how women of war have persistently showcased fearlessness and courage as pilots, combatants, and armament specialists, among other no less significant roles. These have tremendously led to the increased participation of female personnel in combat and war support functions, especially in the fight against armed banditry and insurgency in Nigeria. No doubt, this has portrayed the NAF as a gender-sensitive and balanced military institution, which projects positive female role models in the likes of Flying Officer Arotile and others, to the great admiration of Nigerians.

The campaign has immensely boosted the morale of the female troops, who are everywhere, valiantly fighting armed banditry and terrorism in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East geopolitical zones. It has also further gingered the enlistment of female citizens into the Nigerian Air Force.

During the unveiling of the newly acquired Augusta 109 Power Attack Helicopters, it was innocent-looking and brainy Arotile who introduced the features and operation of the aircraft to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

As such, the unprecedented outpouring of emotions, attendant upon grief and disbelief, was not surprising, following the death of the young female officer. When she was laid to rest on July 23, with full military honours, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar stated that the NAF was still in palpable shock and intense anguish over the loss of a mentee in whom the service had so much confidence. He described the late Arotile as a dedicated and goal-oriented young woman who carried out her assignments, both on the ground and in the air, with a high level of professionalism and commitment.

While reiterating how the fallen heroine had contributed immensely to the decimation of subversive elements in several anti-banditry combat missions, Air Marshal Abubakar condoled with the entire womenfolk of Nigeria, whom he said, the late Arotile had represented so creditably.

Born on December 13, 1995, Tolulope Arotile attended Air Force Primary School and Air Force Secondary School, both in Kaduna, from 2000 to 2011, before she later gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 64 Regular Course on September 22, 2012. She was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer on September 16, 2017, and was winged as the country’s first-ever female combat helicopter pilot on October 15, 2019, after completing her flight training in South Africa. She equally held a commercial pilot licence and had undergone tactical flying training on the Agusta 109 Power Attack Helicopter in Italy. Before her death, within short period of her commission, Arotile had attained over 400 flying hours in the service to the nation.

Truly, Arotile has left her mark in the sands of time, proving that when it comes to the attainment of excellence and value addition to society, age or gender remains a poor measure of capability, and hence should never be entertained as barriers.

While we thank the late Tolulope Arotile for fighting earnestly in protecting Nigeria’s sovereign integrity, I pray that other women of war would keep finding the courage to keep the flag of excellence flying, while never allowing their gender to constitute an hindrance to their remarkable capabilities.

Adieu patriot.

Yushau A. Shuaib
Author, Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies
www.YAShuaib.com

The post Arotile: Curtains Drawn On An Inspiring Face of NAF’s Courageous Women of War‬‬‬‬ appeared first on YAShuaib.

Nelson Mandela Embodiment of Public Relations PR

Nelson Mandela: An Embodiment of Public Relations By Yushau Shuaib

“Mandela was filled with humility, forgiving spirit and the ability to unite people, sharply contrasted with the utterances of some politicians who speak as if ‘Nigeria is their bedroom’ from where they make proclamation and intimidate others.” – Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria.

When President Goodluck Jonathan made the above praises after the demise of Nelson Mandela, the weight of the message was not realised until after a leakage of a letter addressed to him from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Meanwhile in his tribute Chief Olusegun Obasanjo stated that “we all have the opportunity to act nobly in whatever position we find ourselves. When we teach our children the lessons for tomorrow, let us be reminded of the lessons Mandela gave the world in forgiveness and forbearance.”

Those who read between the lines, considering the rapid turn of events within the period, would realise that beneath the tributes are political grandstanding and Public Relations (PR) strategies by leaders in their deliberate effort be relevant and be so recognised. President Barak Obama of America seemed to outshine others in his tribute and actions during the memorial on Mandela in South Africa.

Nelson Mandela was an embodiment of great public relations: charming, charismatic, eloquent and convincing in his approaches. While protecting the interest of his people, he was harassed and jailed for 27 years before his eventual freedom and election as President of his nation.

He was a great communicator who used his power of oratory and conviction to mobilise and move his people to action. He dignified himself in and outside the office, such that he eased the task of reputation managers. Ironically, in other climes such reputation managers who go with such titles of spokespersons or media advisers deserved to be managed from wrecking havocs on the image of their principals and organisations.

Going by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) code of Conduct, the anti-Apartheid icon, who died at the age of 96, exemplified all the attributes of PR person. The IPRA Code is an affirmation of professional and ethical conduct for communicators. The new Code which was adopted in 2011 consolidates the 1961 Code of Venice, the 1965 Code of Athens and the 2007 Code of Brussels.

The code urges communicators to observe the principles of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and act with honesty and integrity at all times so as to secure and retain the confidence of their people. During his life time, Nelson Mandela insisted on the human dignity and respect for human right which engineered his struggle for the emancipation of his people from colonialism.

While PR communicators are enjoined to establish the moral, cultural and intellectual conditions for dialogue, and recognise the rights of all parties involved to state their case and express their views, Mandela garnered more friends as he embraced his adversaries wholeheartedly. It was indeed ironic that all those who had fought him and called him terrorists were among those singing his praises while he was alive and after his death.

While IPRA urges its members to be open and transparent, and to avoid any professional conflicts of interest, Mandela’s reluctant to seek for extension of tenure was one of the indicators that he had no hidden agenda. In some countries, especially in Africa leaders perpetuate themselves in office for immunity from prosecution for their misconducts. He was a selfless leader, who rather than making money for himself as a lawyer and politician, he was busy counselling the world on the necessity of living peaceful.

The IPRA code of conduct strongly admonishes communicators to honour confidential information provided to them. As a former President of South Africa, Mandela must have had the privilege of accessing information on those involved in his incarceration and the killing of blacks during the war against apartheid and colonialism. He never allowed those privilege information to influence his sense of judgement as a leader who was neither petty nor vindictive.

Deception and misleading information for political patronages are attributes of propagandists who led their followers and communities astray, Nelson Mandela was a sincere and honesty communicator who bare his mind openly without any aura of arrogance and intellectual supremacy.

Mandela avoided unnecessary controversies as a man of peace. He was very mindful of his utterances, actions and the kind of friends and allies he related with during his sojourn on earth. As a global role model, every word he uttered was loaded with lessons and power to mobilise people to good causes.

He is being celebrated not only for being a freedom fighter but for his spirit of public relations and communication skills. We can obtain any qualification such as Law, Accounting, Medicine, Engineering, journalism, architect, politics among others, but we may need to imbibe elements and principles of Public Relations like Nelson Mandela to communicate truthfully and convincingly to win the supports of our targets.

Indeed Mandela, the pride of African and black race was truly a PR Man of the Century.
Yushau A. Shuaib

The post Nelson Mandela: An Embodiment of Public Relations By Yushau Shuaib appeared first on YAShuaib.