The NDLEA’s winning entry, the “War Against Drug Abuse” campaign under the chairmanship of Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd) was adjudged the continent’s best crisis management initiative by an international jury. The campaign was executed by Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR) and praised for its strategic clarity, sustained public engagement, and effectiveness in reshaping public perception during a sensitive national security period.

Judges noted that the campaign demonstrated how coordinated, evidence-based communication can strengthen public trust while confronting complex social threats such as drug trafficking and abuse.

In another significant recognition for Nigeria’s public institutions, the Nigeria Customs Service was shortlisted in the highly competitive CEO of the Year category for the “Impactful PR in Customs Service” campaign.

The nomination spotlights the communication-driven leadership of Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Comptroller-General of Customs, whose reform-focused messaging has been central to repositioning the Service’s public image and operational transparency.

Both the NDLEA and Nigeria Customs Service public relations campaigns were executed in strategic partnership with IMPR, the multi-award-winning parent company of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential, and Spokespersons Digest.

Other finalists in the CEO of the Year category include Vodacom’s CEO for the “Beyond the Headlines” campaign, executed with WE Communications, and Harry Scherzer, CEO of Future Forex, for a campaign managed by Irvine Partners.

The 2026 SABRE Africa shortlist—recognising Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement—was strongly dominated by Nigerian agencies and campaigns.

Leading the field was Chain Reactions Africa, which secured the highest number of nominations across categories. Other prominent organisations on the shortlist include Vodacom, KFC Africa, and The Walt Disney Company Africa.

Out of more than 500 entries submitted across Africa, only about 120 finalists made the final shortlist, reflecting the growing sophistication of crisis management, digital storytelling and purpose-driven communication on the continent.

The prestigious Diamond SABRE categories highlighted excellence across both the corporate and public sectors.

In the Company of the Year category, KFC Africa and Guinness Nigeria, in partnership with Chain Reactions Africa, emerged as leading contenders for redefining brand purpose and cultural relevance.

Regional categories further highlighted standout African brands and institutions.
In Northern Africa, GITEX Africa Morocco 2025, managed by APO Group, won for its technology-driven media engagement, while the African Development Bank Group claimed the Global Campaign award for “AFAWA: Banking on Women.”

In Western Africa, Nigerian campaigns dominated the shortlist, led by the Lagos State Government for climate action communications and Indomie for its “Show Some Love To Mum” campaign.

Beyond NDLEA’s gold win, Nigeria’s public sector featured prominently across categories. The Presidency of Nigeria earned a finalist position in the Public Sector category for the “From Promises To Proofs” campaign, also managed by Chain Reactions Africa, highlighting a shift toward evidence-based governance communication.

The shortlist also reflected Africa’s expanding digital creativity. The Walt Disney Company Africa secured multiple nominations for “The Disney Dream Room” and “ESPN on Disney,” while Spotify and Microsoft were recognised for campaigns centred on Afrobeats culture and AI-driven economic development.

Winners across all categories will be unveiled at the Africa SABRE Awards Gala on March 17, 2026, at The Venue Melrose Arch, Johannesburg.

This year’s edition marks a milestone as PRovoke Media partners with the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) to host the awards alongside PRCA’s South Africa conference.

“The quality of work this year shows that African agencies are no longer merely following global trends—they are defining them,” a jury spokesperson said.

For agencies such as Image Merchants Promotion Limited and Chain Reactions Africa, the 2026 SABRE recognitions further affirm Nigeria’s growing strategic influence within the global public relations and communications industry.

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TECHDIGEST – Provoke Media in collaboration with the African Public Relations Association (APRA) honoured National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) with Certificate of Excellence in the Public Relations/Government Relations category, during the 2023 Africa Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference, which took place recently in Lusaka, Zambia.

APRA recognises NITDA’s efforts in tackling public misconceptions about the ‘Nigeria Code of Practice for Social Media and Online Platforms’

The Code of Practice was formulated to provide a robust framework for collaborative efforts to protect Nigerians against online harms such as hate speech, cyber-bullying, as well as disinformation and/or misinformation.

READ ALSO : NITDA Warns Nigerians of Fake N50k Grant Scheme 

It is designed to protect the fundamental human rights of Nigerians and non-Nigerians living in the country, as well as defining guidelines for interacting in the digital ecosystem.

At a time when social media continues to thrive in an unregulated ecosystem with grave threat to Nigeria’s unity in diversity, the government had to officially ban top microblogging platforms – Twitter in Nigeria.

The Africa PR Award which recognises Superior Achievement in Branding Reputation and Engagement (SABRE) is an annual event hosted by Provoke Media in collaboration with the African Public Relations Association (APRA) to celebrate outstanding campaigns that demonstrate the highest levels of creativity, integrity, and effectiveness.

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TECHDIGEST – It is not surprising to many, that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), won the “2022 African Public Relations Awards Certificate of Excellence” in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the 25th of May, 2022. This is in recognition of the Agency’s contribution to successful implementation of Nigeria’s digital economy.

The African PR award recognizes excellence in branding, reputation, and engagement (SABRE), with a focus on engagement, credibility, and relationship building, and is organized by Provoke Media in collaboration with the African Public Relations Association (APRA).

The agency landed this APRA Certificate of Excellence in thePublic Affairs/Government Relations category with a book by Inyene Ibanga with the same title, as part of its campaign on Digital Innovation for Economic Prosperity in Nigeria.

These soaring achievements of NITDA, which have been recognized both at national and international level followed the renaming of Nigeria’s communication ministry under the leadership of Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in October 2019.

READ ALSO: SABRE:NITDA Wins 2022 African PR Award For Excellence

Primarily, the new designation of the ministry was to revive the technological drive and further expand its mandate to effectively capture the goals of digitization of Nigeria’s economy.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) are the seven parastatals/agencies under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Despite renaming of the Ministry to encompass Digital Economy, much was not known about the impact that the new name could have on Nigeria’s economy through the adoption of digital innovations and Information Technology (IT) tools.

Therefore, in an exclusive interview with PRNigeria in 2019, Pantami harped on the need to provide the opportunity and strategies of creating awareness on this sector through public relations tools and advocacy.

This then birthed a clamour for a more productive and profitable IT sector which was chaired by NITDA to educate and inform the public regularly on the development in the ICT sector. Alhough NITDA was established in 2001, its drive for a unified performance has given a whole new dimension in how to design a campaign that will achieve its goals.

The campaign themed; Digital Innovation for Economic Prosperity in Nigeria was undertaken by NITDA in partnership with Abuja-based multi-global-award-winning PR agency, Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR).

In order to sustain robust public relations coverage, the campaign was strategized to include the creation of online portal media coverage, weekly-researched articles which were later compiled into a book and equally presented in August 2021.

In ensuring full coverage of the sector, IMPR with support of NITDA began the campaign with the establishment of web portal TechDigest.ng for media coverage to showcase digital innovations in Nigeria with other activities. Within a year, NITDA and affiliates released a brochure on its website containing numerous digital skills which provides policy backing for massive training of Nigerians to enable them obtain digital literacy skills.

The awareness of this digital acquisition became a phenomenon participation across Nigeria both visual and at physical outlets across the nation.

Through the support of the Minister, the campaign enhanced positive perspectives on Digital Innovation and Digital Economy and also encouraged participation of critical stakeholders, investors, and startups to key into the sector which later recorded unprecedented contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He noted that “ICT contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which stood at 13.8 percent in the second quarter of 2020, recorded an unprecedented 17.98 percent in September 2021. Its highest contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.”

Towards ensuring its mandate of digital literacy, NITDA has sponsored series of capacity building programmes for staff in different Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as people in the informal sector towards deepening productivity.
Other digital literacy programmes include digital journalism training for media personnel in Abuja, Kwara and Kano which was conducted in late 2021 in collaboration with PRNigeria. In addition, over 100 journalists in Jigawa were exposed to appropriate skills for enhancing objective reportage of the digital economy. Furthermore, NITDA organized training programmes for Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs) to equip them with relevant digital skills and ensure digital inclusiveness.

Recently, the agency was conferred the prestigious “National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award” of recognition in May 2022, by President Buhari for its high productivity, hard work and excellence in service delivery by the federal government.

In recognition of unprecedented performance in ICT and Digital Innovation in Africa, both the minister and NITDA DG had been accorded recognition for excellent impact in different sections of Nigeria’s tech innovation ecosystem. Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) clinched the Most Outstanding Digital Minister of the Year in West Africa in 2021. And presently, he is the Chairman, World Summit on Information Societies Forum (WSIS).

Similarly, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi was honoured with the “ICT Personality of the Year Award 2021”, among many other accolades for sterling contribution to the implementation of the digital economy.

From the foregoing, therefore, NITDA must not relent in its march to achieving more successes. This the Agency would accomplish by channeling and redoubling its efforts towards sustaining the tremendous contributions of Information Technology and Communication (ICT) to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.

Zeenat O. Sambo writes from Wuye District, Abuja

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TECHDIGEST – In further confirmation of its contribution to the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), has won the 2022 African Public Relations Awards Certificate of Excellence in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the 25th May, 2022.

The annual African PR award, which recognizes Superior Achievements in Branding, Reputation, and Engagement (SABRE), with a focus on engagement, credibility, and relationship building, was hosted by Provoke Media in collaboration with the African Public Relations Association (APRA).

Before winning the 2022 African PR award, NITDA was recently conferred with the prestigious “National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award” in recognition of the Agency’s high productivity, hard work, and excellence in service delivery. NITDA is the only government agency that received the National Productivity Award in the last 7 years.

READ ALSO: NITDA Shares Country’s Roadmap With Stakeholders At Dubai’s Blockchain Gathering

NITDA, with the support of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, clinched the APRA Certificate of Excellence in the Public Affairs/Government Relations category for its campaign on Digital Innovation for Economic Prosperity in Nigeria with a book of the same title authored by Inyene Ibanga.

The campaign, Digital Innovation for Economic Prosperity in Nigeria examined the roles of regulatory bodies in promoting the use of Information Technology (IT) in all spheres and explored ways in which the country is not left behind in the deployment of tools of technology in providing solutions to economic challenges.

The campaign undertaken by NITDA in partnership with Abuja-based multi-award-winning PR agency, Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, earned the approval of the 14-member jury comprising globally acclaimed African Communications and PR experts from different parts of the continent to win the award for excellence.

In October 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari, renamed Nigeria’s communication ministry to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, to further expand its mandate to capture the goals of digitalization of the Nigerian economy in line with the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP), one of the key agenda of the present administration.

Consequently, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), championed the initiative for awareness creation of the digital economy through the promotion of ICT, innovation, and technological tools to improve existing business processes and efficiency in products and services across all sector of the economy.

Through the support of the Minister, the campaign enhanced positive perspectives on Digital Innovation and Digital Economy and encouraged the participation of critical stakeholders, investors, and startups to key into the sector which later recorded unprecedented contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Highlighting major achievements of the sector, the Minister said that “ICT contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which stood at 13.8 percent in the second quarter of 2020, recorded an unprecedented 17.98 percent in September 2021. Its highest contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.”

While presenting the awards to the recipients, the APRA President, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okunsaya congratulated the winners for making the African continent proud by demonstrating the highest levels of creativity, integrity, and effectiveness in their various PR campaigns.

Commenting on the awards, the Chairman of the Award Jury and founder of Provoke Media, organizer of the event, Paul Holmes acknowledged that quality PR campaigns are coming from Africa.

Receiving the certificate, the spokesperson of NITDA, Mrs Hadiza Umar commended the organisers for finding the agency worthy of the award.

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TECHDIGEST – The Maryam Abacha American University Nigeria (MAAUN) in Kano, has named its School of Computing after Nigeria’s Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

The President and founder of the University, Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo told PRNigeria that the move is part of the institution’s effort in recognising Professor Pantami’s sterling performance as Minister in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As a performer who has paid his due in public service and transformed the country’s digital economy remarkably, he is surely worthy of emulation by upcoming generation, so, being the field in which he has excelled, we thought it wise to name our school of computing after him.” Gwarzo said.

READ ALSO : Pantami, Danbatta Lead Industry Experts To Chart Way For 5G Rollout At PIAFo

MAAUN is a privately funded University located in the ancient city of Kano, dedicated to providing students with best academic, social and personal experiences.

Its school of computing offers course in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Software Engineering and Computer Science.

Recall that in February, Image Merchants Promotions Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential instituted annual Prizes/Awards for Best Graduating Students in Public Relations and Digital Economy at Bayero University Kano (BUK).

The awards which are named after a former Head of Department of Mass Communication at the university, Professor Bashir Ali and Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami will run for 10 years from 2022 to 2032.

The awards were instituted to motivate and inspire students to develop interests in Public Relations practice and innovations in digital activities that are key sectors of today’s globally evolving economy.

While receiving a cheque of one Million Naira for the prizes in his office, the BUK Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas commended IMPR for its various interventions in the mentorship of students and young communicators on modern skills. He added that the prizes will be presented to the first set during the forthcoming convocation in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Ministry and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), jointly bagged 2022 SABRE African PR Certificate of Excellence.

The annual African PR awards which recognize Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation, and Engagement (SABRE) is organised by the Provoke Media (formerly Holmes Report) in collaboration with African Public Relations Association (APRA).

The award ceremony will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 25th, as part of the 2022 African Public Relations Conference.

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – The Fact-checking campaign by PRNigeria against fake news during and after EndSARS protests in Nigeria has bagged top African Public Relations (PR) Awards for Special Event and Sponsorship in 2022.

Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR) the publisher of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential which executed the campaign in collaboration with the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), also bagged two Certificates of Excellence for its campaigns for the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)

The annual African PR awards which recognize Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation, and Engagement (SABRE) is organised by the Provoke Media (formerly Holmes Report) in collaboration with African Public Relations Association (APRA).

For winning the top PR Award on Special Event and Sponsorship, the IMPR campaign exposes how Fake News was widely used by proponents and opponents of the largest mass movement of youths protesting police harassment and brutality with hashtag #EndSARS in 2020. As an instrument of propaganda, the fake news escalated into violent attacks during the demonstration

A year after in 2021, Using traditional investigative journalism techniques and fact-checking tools, PRNigeria detected and exposed several fake news used during and after the EndSARS to mislead the public. It later published and unveiled a book “101 Fake News on EndSARS” authored by an award-winning fact-checker Dahiru Lawal on the danger of misinformation and disinformation. It further sustained the campaign by exposing several bit-by-bit fake news items that were engineered by groups, public figures, activists, media and undesirable elements to hoodwink the public.

The Editor-in-Chief of IMPR, Yushau A. Shuaib expressed delight over the latest awards. He said: “We are glad that our stakeholders and clients appreciate our brand of awareness campaigns that blend PR with journalism for impactful results through responsible reporting.”

Image Merchants, an indigenous Nigerian PR firm has consistently bagged APRA endorsed SABRE Awards as well as Golden World Awards of International Public Relations Association (APRA) for more than five years.

Ten Nigerian PR agencies featured among the 2022 African SABRE Award recipients. Apart from IMPR, they included BHM, Chain Reaction Nigeria, LSF/PR, Integrated Indigo, RED Media, So.Me Solution, Modion Communications, Blanche Aigle Communications and Chenist.

The Africa SABRE award ceremony will take place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on May 25th, as part of the 2022 African Public Relations Conference. The campaigns were evaluated by a jury of industry leaders.

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