NYSC DG Tasks PROs on Strategic Communication, Reputation Management

The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, has charged Public Relations Officers of the Scheme to strengthen strategic communication and reputation management.

Nafiu gave the charge in Abuja at the 2026 Public Relations, Media and Protocol Officers Workshop, themed, “NYSC Strategic Communication: Shaping Perception, Safeguarding Reputation, and Fostering Public Trust.”

The NYSC DG, who was represented by the Director, Community Development Services and Special Projects, Chiwendu Chukwu, said strategic communication goes beyond publicity, stressing the need to inform, engage, listen and respond to stakeholders in a deliberate and coordinated manner.

He urged the officers to ensure that NYSC communication remains accurate, timely, credible, consistent and responsive.

Nafiu also tasked the PROs with developing a thorough understanding of the NYSC mandate, anticipating public concerns, monitoring emerging narratives and ensuring accurate information reaches the right audience through the appropriate channels.

He further urged them to strengthen their capacity in proactive communication, media monitoring, fact-checking and crisis communication while leveraging digital platforms to showcase the NYSC’s contributions to national development.

The Director, Media Department, Emeka Mgbemena, warned against misinformation and misleading narratives targeting the Scheme on social media.

He said the workshop was designed to equip information managers with the skills and knowledge required to deploy effective public relations strategies, particularly in their engagement with the media and other stakeholders.

Mgbemena said the rapid evolution of digital media, coupled with misinformation, misuse of social media and under-reporting, made it necessary for NYSC communication officers to improve how the Scheme’s activities are presented to the public.

He charged the officers to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and adopt a proactive approach to protecting the reputation of the Scheme at the state secretariats and the National Directorate Headquarters.

Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr Ike Neliaku, urged NYSC PROs to sustain best practices in corporate communication and deploy effective reputation management strategies to improve public perception of the Scheme.

He stressed that organisations are built deliberately through consistent efforts and not by chance.

The workshop brought together Public Relations, Media and Protocol Officers from the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the NYSC National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja.