Yushau Shuaib becomes IPRA Fellow, earns FIPRA designation

Public relations practitioner and Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, IMPR, Yushau A. Shuaib, has been admitted as a Fellow of the International Public Relations Association, IPRA.

The admission confers on him the professional designation Fellow of the International Public Relations Association (FIPRA, in recognition of his professional standing and sustained membership of the global body.

Mr Shuaib’s Fellowship certificate was signed by IPRA President, Esther Cobbah, following more than six years of continuous membership of the association.

According to IPRA Secretary-General, Philip Sheppard, the Fellowship category was introduced to recognise members who have maintained continuous membership and demonstrated commitment to global public relations standards and ethical practice.

Shuaib is the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential and Spokespersons Digest.

Under his leadership, the company has received several recognitions from professional bodies and industry organisations, including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), African Public Relations Association (APRA), SABRE Awards Africa and IPRA’s Golden World Awards.

The latest recognition comes weeks after IMPR recorded its biggest international achievement at the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards in Athens, Greece, where it won multiple category awards and the coveted Grand Prix, the competition’s highest distinction.

The company clinched the Grand Prix for its campaign, “AI in Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy”, which was developed from a 107-page empirical study led by Shuaib on the application of artificial intelligence in crisis communication in Nigeria.

The initiative received support from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.

The Athens victory followed a decade of IMPR’s participation in the Golden World Awards. It also came in the historic city where IPRA adopted its Code of Athens in 1965.

Shuaib had earlier received an IPRA Golden World Award for Crisis Management in Doha, Qatar, in 2016, while IMPR was ranked the world’s most creative public relations agency in the 2020 Global Creativity Index produced by PRovoke, formerly known as the Holmes Report.

Shuaib began his career in public relations during his university years, graduating with a degree in Mass Communication from Bayero University, Kano, in 1992.

He won the NIPR President’s Prize as the best graduating student in Public Relations and was named PR Person of the Year for Kano and Jigawa states in 1995.

He later obtained a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Westminster, London, in 2010.

Before venturing into private practice, Shuaib built an extensive career in government communication, serving as Public Relations Officer at Government House, Asaba, Delta State.

He subsequently worked in communication roles at the Federal Ministries of Information, Finance and Health.

He also headed public relations departments at the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) before retiring from public service.

Beyond his professional engagements, Shuaib convenes the annual National Spokespersons Awards (NS-Awards) and the PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship (PYCF), initiatives aimed at promoting excellence in strategic communication and mentoring emerging journalists and communication professionals.

He has also authored several books on media, public relations and crisis communication, including A Dozen Tips for Media Relations, Financial Public Relations in Nigeria, Strictly Personal: Writings for the Media, Award-Winning Crisis Communication Strategies and MNI Versus MNIPR in NIPSS.

Founded on May 1, 1955, IPRA is a global professional association of public relations practitioners committed to promoting ethical communication, professional excellence and international cooperation.

The association has developed some of the profession’s recognised ethical frameworks, including the Code of Venice in 1961, the Code of Athens in 1965 and its Consolidated Code of Conduct in 2011.

IPRA also holds consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and UNESCO. In 1990, it established the Golden World Awards to recognise outstanding public relations practice across the world.

With members in more than 80 countries, the association promotes professional standards, research and thought leadership in public relations.

Mr Shuaib’s admission as a Fellow adds to his professional achievements spanning government communication, media relations, crisis management, strategic communication, publishing and mentorship.