Public Relations in Education: A Strategic Plan for universities in Nigeria

Abstract

Education is about generating, disseminating, advancing, and applying knowledge. To succeed in it therefore, requires qualified teachers, teachable students, enabling environment, healthy competition, and a culture of motivation. In the absence of these, university education fails. This paper addressed the question: are universities in Nigeria today still able to deliver on the lofty goals of education? Hinged on the theories of perception and persuasion, through a discursive approach, the paper observed that universities have largely lost its place of pride as reservoir of knowledge in Nigeria. The paper found a growing worry about university education arising from inadequate funding, poor quality of staff and students, brain-drain, incessant strikes, poor leadership, corruption among others. This paper thus, advocated the use of public relations strategies to revamp the ailing system through a series of public relations approaches in education, otherwise called Educational Public Relations (EPR). The paper further found that this happened because universities suffered neglect, hence failed to deliver quality and standard. Instead, they depreciated, produced declined value due to use of moribund facilities. The paper, however expressed hope that strategic use of a public relations plan was a necessary intervention. EPR plan was recommended as a catalyst to bring back the vigour, lost glory, positive public image, integrity and trust in the university system in Nigeria.