The Nigeria Reputation Management Group (NRMG), a private sector initiative of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), will host the 2026 Nigeria Reputation Day Conference on Thursday, October 15.
Former Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, will deliver the keynote address. Peterside is a leadership architect and management turnaround expert. His address is titled “Own the Narrative: Shaping Nigeria’s Reputation Together.”
The organisers said Peterside will examine how citizens, institutions and technology each shape the national story. He is expected to argue that a country’s image is not set only by government communication or foreign media. It is built every day through the conduct of its people, how well its public and private institutions work, and the growing power of digital platforms to spread both good and bad stories about Nigeria.
The keynote comes as Nigeria works to attract investment, deepen its global partnerships and change long-held perceptions abroad. In that climate, perception often affects economic outcomes as much as policy does.
Three panelists will discuss Peterside’s presentation: Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, Ambassador Ivie Sabina Idakpaye and Omawumi Ogbe. Tope Ojeme will moderate the session.
The panel brings together experience from academia, diplomacy and communications. The discussion is expected to turn the keynote’s ideas into practical steps that citizens, corporate organisations and government agencies can take to protect and improve Nigeria’s standing.
In a statement signed by Chief Yomi Badejo and Hajia Lami Tumaka, the NRMG said this year’s edition will be held online. The statement said the conference is designed to “compel reflection on how each of our actions shape national reputation.”
The group said the online format will open the conversation to more Nigerians at home and in the diaspora. Participants from professional groups, the media, the public sector, civil society and students are expected to join.
The NRMG said Nigeria Reputation Day is an annual platform for stakeholders to examine the country’s image and agree on shared responsibility for how the nation is seen. The group added that reputation is a national asset. Building it, it said, needs coordinated effort, credible institutions and responsible citizenship, not just reactive image-laundering.
Organisers urged stakeholders across all sectors to take part. They said the conversation is relevant to every Nigerian who has a stake in how the country is perceived and valued around the world.
