Global Media Alliance (GMA), in partnership with the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC) Faculty of Business and Strategic Communication (FoBSC) and the Public Relations Department, has marked the World Public Relations Day (WPRD) Festival 2026 with a special PR Dialogue in Accra.
Held under the theme: ‘Connecting Learning to Practice,’ the flagship event brought together industry practitioners, corporate executives, policymakers and students to explore the future of strategic communication and the skills required to thrive in the profession.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Hon. Kofi Adams, drew parallels between public relations and sports management, highlighting the importance of timing, strategy and discretion in communication.
“Communication dictates where or when to speak, silence is a form of communication,” he said.
He urged aspiring communicators to prioritise listening over speaking, stressing that critical thinking, curiosity and integrity were essential traits for success.
Also speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, underscored the central role of communication in building trust, particularly within the health sector.
“PR is not about managing reputation but building confidence, trust, and managing time among one another,” he said, adding that communication was as vital as medicine in healthcare delivery.
Ghana’s High Commissioner-designate to Nigeria, Baba Sadiq Abdulai Abu, encouraged students to embrace real-world learning experiences beyond the classroom.
“While the classroom teaches you principles, the world teaches you the real world,” he said, urging students to remain curious, ask questions and invest in personal development through volunteering and continuous learning.
On the role of artificial intelligence, the Director of External Affairs at Telecel Ghana, Mr Komla Buami, reassured students that technology would not replace professional communicators but rather reshape the industry.
“AI has changed the way we handle content, but we still have our space in managing things. Your ideas matter and are needed,” he said.
A panel discussion moderated by Laila Abubakari of the Electricity Company of Ghana and anchored by Eunice Tornyi of the Chartered Institute of Human Resource Management (CIHRM-Ghana) examined the competencies required in today’s corporate environment.
Participants, including Joyce Asiedu, Deputy Director of Marketing at NHIA, emphasised the importance of mentorship, adherence to institutional protocols and continuous learning, while also encouraging young women to pursue leadership roles without limitations.
Dr Rebecca Baah-Ofori, a lecturer at UniMAC, advocated structured experiential learning and urged students to actively seek internships and mentorship opportunities to ease their transition into the workforce.
The event also featured creative performances, including live acoustic music and spoken-word poetry, adding an engaging cultural dimension to the discussions.
A major highlight of the festival was the Telecel-UniMAC PR Pitch Challenge, which provided students with a platform to apply classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios. Three teams competed by developing crisis communication and brand repositioning strategies based on telecom industry challenges.
The competition was judged by a panel comprising Rita Agyeiwaa Rockson of Telecel Ghana, Emma Wenani of Global Media Alliance and Fuseini Iddrisu of UniMAC.
BY TIMES REPORTER
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