By Adewole Kehinde
The 2025 Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officers’ (PPROs) Conference was officially declared open on Monday by Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun. This event is not merely ceremonial; in the current national context, it is strategic, timely, and extremely consequential.
I wholeheartedly agree with the IGP that the annual convergence of Police Public Relations Officers is not merely a routine calendar event. It is a strategic national engagement; a critical platform for strengthening our collective capacity to engage the public, shape narratives constructively, and deepen trust between the Police and the citizens we are sworn to serve.
There is no doubt that we live in an era where policing thrives not merely on patrols and enforcement, but on transparency, accountability, and public cooperation. Policing in the 21st century depends not only on what officers do but also on how society perceives what they do. This places communication at the heart of modern law enforcement and institutional legitimacy.
IGP Egbetokun could not have said it better when he noted that police legitimacy is shaped by how they are seen, how they are understood, and how they communicate. Indeed, the voice of the Force is the PPRO’s voice. Every press statement, every media engagement, and every response to public inquiry forms part of the national perception of the Nigeria Police Force.
The 2025 Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officers’ Conference offers us an invaluable opportunity to refine and reinforce uniformity of messaging across the nation. The PPROs must speak with one coherent voice, accurate, factual, and timely, reflecting one vision, one standard, and one unshakeable commitment to service. Fragmented messaging weakens institutional authority; coherent messaging strengthens it.
I also applaud IGP Egbetokun for investing in modern communication infrastructure, digital tools, and capacity-building programmes to empower the PPROs to dominate the information space responsibly and effectively. The strengthening of PR units nationwide through improved staffing, including the recently approved postings of Public Relations Officers across commands and formations and granting more operational autonomy, are pragmatic steps that will make police communication more efficient, responsive, and impactful.
I fully concur with the IGP that a single unguarded statement can erode months of operational success, while a single well-crafted message, timely, factual, and empathetic, can calm tension, avert crisis, and earn public trust. This is not a theoretical possibility; it is our daily reality.
Therefore, I challenge the PPROs to frame narratives rather than just respond to them, and to lead conversations rather than follow them. It is necessary to take decisive action to stop the spread of false information on digital platforms. The Nigeria Police Force has, in fact, sustained more reputational harm from false information than any other Nigerian state agency.
This is why PPROs must remember that they are the first line of defence in the information ecosystem. Their vigilance, clarity, and professionalism are critical to ensuring that misinformation does not become accepted reality.
The Nigeria Police Force under IGP Egbetokun is undergoing reform; the reforms are anchored on fairness, service excellence, accountability, respect for human rights, and partnership with communities. The PPROs are the torchbearers of this reform narrative, and they must interpret these reforms to the public clearly while ensuring that officers within the system understand and internalise them.
I must also thank the IGP for reminding the PPROs that they must not wait for misinformation to dominate the space before they respond. They must anticipate issues, prepare credible narratives, and engage early. Where false narratives emerge, swift, factual, and respectful rebuttals must be issued. Communicate with evidence, not assumptions. Every message must be accurate, verified, clear, and consistent with our core values.
Above all, PPROs must not be careless with words, indifferent to facts, or dismissive of public concerns. They stand in a delicate space, where every statement can either build confidence or fuel suspicion.
In conclusion, I call on the PPROs nationwide to build and sustain strong, constructive relationships with journalists, media houses, civil society organisations, community leaders, and international partners. Collaboration amplifies impact. Partnership strengthens credibility. Mutual respect facilitates cooperation. The PPROs must see the media not as adversaries but as partners in the project of public enlightenment and national security.
IGP Egbetokun has once again demonstrated leadership. It is now the duty of our Public Relations Officers to turn that leadership into sustained national confidence.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached on 08166240846, kennyadewole@gmail.com, @kennyadewole
