The Kanwan Katsina and District Head of Ketare, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara mni, has commended the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, for its role in promoting public enlightenment and national development in the country.

The traditional ruler made this remark when he received Alhaji Ahmad Sajo, a member of the NIPR Governing Council, along with the newly inaugurated executive members of the Katsina State Chapter of the Institute, who paid him a courtesy visit.

Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara described the revival of NIPR activities in Katsina as a positive step that will enhance the work of public relations officers across the state.

He urged the newly inaugurated committee members to use both conventional and modern media platforms to encourage Public Relations officers to register with the Katsina Chapter of NIPR and become certified professionals in line with the new law, which stipulates that only registered members of NIPR should be appointed as Public Relations Officers (PRO) in any government or private establishment.

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SolaceBase reports that Kanwan Katsina, while calling for the establishment of an office for the state chapter to ensure effective operations, pledges support to the Institute.

The Monarch recalled that he was a reporter at the Newsroom of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Kaduna and was also the Customs Public Relations Officer at Apapa and Tincan Island Port Command respectively for 10 years and won the award as the best PRO of Nigeria Customs Service in 1999 during the annual Customs Conference held in Port-Hacout, Rivers State.

In his remarks, Alhaji Ahmad Sajo said he was in Katsina on behalf of the national president of NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, to inaugurate the Katsina State Chapter of NIPR.

He commended the Kanwan Katsina for his continuous support to public relations practitioners and journalists, describing him as one of the pioneer members of NIPR from Katsina State during his days as PRO in the Nigeria Customs Service.