Everything you need to know about the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations(NIPR) certification course. There has been a lot of questions online recently about the necessity and the process of a Public Relations certification. So should you actually get certified? The short answer: Yes. It’s never wrong to get an additional qualification. But there are so many other benefits of getting a certification in public relations, this is why we compiled this guide to help you make a decision whether a public Relations certification is right for you.

1. Public Relations Certification
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE
PR PROFESSIONAL
CERTIFICATION COURSE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
about enrolling for the public
relations professional certification course
of the Nigerian Institute of Public
Relations (NIPR)

2. CONTENTS
What is covered in this guide
COST DURATION STUDY OPTIONS
How much will you
invest in the course?
How long it will take
to complete?
How can you study?
WHO NEEDS IT BENEFITS REQUIREMENTS
Who should enroll
and why?
What the certification
offers you?
what you need to
enroll?
There has been a lot of questions online recently about the necessity and the
process of a Public Relations certification. So should you actually get certified?
The short answer: Yes. It’s never wrong to get an additional qualification. But there
are so many other benefits of getting a certification in public relations, this is why
we compiled this guide to help you make a decision whether a public Relations
certification is right for you.

3. The Nigerian Institute of Public relations(NIPR) is the Chartered professional body
with the role of regulating public relations practice and education in Nigeria. To
become a chattered member of the Institute, individuals are expected to sit for its
certifying exams that have got three (3) parts; summed up as the certificate and
diploma stage.
Organized public relations in Nigerian have been around since 1963 with the
Public relations Association of Nigeria (PRAN), which later evolved to become the
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). NIPR became a chartered
professional body in 1990 and since then has been regulating the practice and
education of public relations in Nigeria.
HOW CREDIBLE IS THIS CERTIFICATION?
ABOUT NIPR CERTIFICATION

4. Application is open to any individual who desires to
build a career in Public relations or marketing
communication. It doesn’t matter whether you have a
science, social science or art background.
Many people have taken the course to improve their
communication skills(writing, media skills, etc), as
well as to position themselves for career
advancement.
You should enroll for the public relations certification
if you have plans to build a career in public relations
or marketing communication in general.
However, below are specific details of who can enroll
for each of the stages of the public relations
certification.
WHAT DO I NEED TO START?
FOR WHO:
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5. • You have a first degree (Science, arts or social science based degrees) or
• A Higher National or National Diploma certification or
• You have SSCE with 5 credits including English language or
• You are currently working in communication or related roles; customers service,
sales, social media and marketing etc or
• You are not currently working in communication or related roles but are
considering a career change to public relations and communication. or
• You are a recent graduate (Youth corper) and would like to build your career
with a professional certification
- You have completed the Certificate Stage (part I & II) or
- You are a graduate of Mass Communication (HND & Bsc) or
- You are an experienced PR professional without an industry specific
qualification (would have to complete the certificate stage first) or
- You are working in any field of public relations (e.g. media relations, internal
communications or public affairs)
DIPLOMA STAGE
CERTIFICATE STAGE ( part I & II )

6. You can apply for student membership with any of
the following academic level:
- A first degree any course area (science, arts or
social science) or
- OND/ HND or…
- Senior Secondary School Certificate –SSCE or
( 5 credits including English Language)
- Mass communication degree
If you are a graduate of Mass Communication, you
will be granted exemption from the certificate stage
and be required to do the final stage (diploma).
However, you will be required to pay an exemption
fee of N30,000 and provide your academic
transcript to be granted this exemption
This means that if you do not have a mass comm
degree, you will be required to start from the
certificate stage.
EXEMPTIONS
BASIC ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
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7. - Photocopies of credentials
(SSCE, University Certificate and other relevant
documents)
- 4 passport photographs
- *Academic transcript (For diploma students
only)
There are two major stages to complete the
public relations certification and three parts.
The first two parts (I and II) make up the
Certificate stage. The final part is the diploma
and final stage of the professional certification.
Each part is made up of five(5) courses. This
means the certificate stage is made up of
ten(10) course and the Diploma stage is made
up of five (5) courses. This brings the total to
fifteen (courses)
SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS
REQUIRED TO APPLY
STAGES OF EXAMS
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8. The entire programme can be completed within a year as
the examinations are written twice in a year- June/July and
Nov/Dec. The institute however gives 3 years to complete
the entire course.
So for instance, when you register to sit for the certificate
stage exams in June/July, you can then sit for the diploma
and final stage in Nov/Dec of same year. Note however
that you must have passed all the 10 courses in the
certificate stage to enroll for the final stage.
Yes you can, but from the feedback of students who have
taken the examinations in the past, it is best to combine the
part I and II (certificate stage) and sit in one sitting. Since the
courses are interrelated, the knowledge of one helps you to
deal with the other. This way, it is easier to pass all the
papers when you combine Part I and Part II.
CAN I BREAK DOWN THE COURSES
AND WRITE THEM IN BITS?
DURATION
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9. BENEFITS
What benefits do you stand
to gain from getting the
public relations certification?

10. Apart from the fact that the training exposes you to the fundamentals of public relations
practice, providing sound theoretical framework to discuss core public relations areas;
media relations dynamics, PR principles, planning and strategy, communication
theories, Stakeholders and consumer behavior management, corporate and product
branding, PR measurement and social media analysis,
You get to also improve your communication skills as you will become a better
writer and a more strategic thinker. These skills can be applied to your job or
business, if you are an entrepreneur.
At the end of the programme, you will be awarded a Professional Diploma in Public
Relations from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Institute (NIPR).
This makes you eligible to practice PR in Nigeria which is an equivalent of a BSC/HND
certificate, as it can be used for a Masters programme in selected universities like the
University of Nigeria, Nnsuka University of Ibadan, Lagos state university, University of
Uyo, University of Calabar, Olabisi Onabanjo University and more…
The Nigerian Public Relations qualification is also recognized by international
universities as well and can be used to enroll for the chartered institute of public
relations (CIPR) London.

11. BENEFITS TO CAREER EXECUTIVES
Among other benefit, below are some of the benefits to
you if you want to build your career with the public
relations certification:
•Improve your personal communication and writing skill
•Increase earning potential with the certification
•A platform for career change
•Membership of the PR professional association
•Job efficiency and opportunity for advancement
•Become highly skilled and knowledgeable
•Good job prospects
•You can apply for jobs in any industry irrespective of
your background
•You can develop a career path in Public relations
•Consideration for employment ahead of peers with no
added professional qualifications
BENEFITS TO FRESH GRADUATE AND
JUNIOR LEVEL EXECUTIVES
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12. All the courses are designed to expose you to the fundamentals of public relations
and communication in general and are broken down into the different stages of the
certification process.
PART I
Paper 1: Principles of PR,
Paper 2: Business Management,
Paper 3:Principles of Psychology & Sociology,
Paper 4:Media methods and Practice,
Paper 5:Communication Theories and Practice.
COURSES TAKEN:
PART II
Paper 6: Economics,
Paper 7: Public Relations in Private and
Public Sectors,
Paper 8: Public Relations in Government,
Paper 9: Public Relations Research,
Paper 10: Comparative Public Relations.
PART III (Diploma Stage)
Paper 11. Public Relations Policy, planning and Strategy,
Paper 12. Corporate and Product Brand Management
Paper 13. Media dynamics
Paper 14.Stakeholders Management,
Paper 15. Marketing and Advertising management.
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13. TUITION/COST
The cost of tuition is dependent on
the study option that you choose with
each providing unique learning
advantage.
There are three (3) unique study
options available to you, depending
on your learning goal and budget.
The Pros, Standard and
Correspondence options
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14. This option comes with a two-fold benefit. It’s practical, hands-on and designed for
individuals not only interested in acquiring the certification of the Nigerian Institute of Public
Relations, but also want to learn some relevant skills to build a career in public relations.
Skills like; creative writing, digital public relations, content marketing etc.
People who have signed up to this option are usually mid-senior level executives already in
communication roles or those interested in a career change to public relations. Most young
people that have clearly defined their career paths also sign up for this option.
The cost for this option is N120,000 (one hundred and twenty thousand naira) for certificate
stage and N80,000 (Eighty thousand naira) for diploma stage. This covers for registration
and tuition fee, which covers study materials, audio lectures, workbooks and other learning
support tools.
Note that this does not cover the course registration and examination fees of
N34,000(thirty five thousand naira) for the certificate stage and N24,000 (twenty four
thousand naira) for the diploma stage.
So for instance, if you are sitting for certificate stage with this option, the cost will be
N120,000 + 34,000 = N154,000 (note that there are available flexible payment options)
PROS PACKAGE
*Note that the fees is subject to review: Contact 08098023336 if you have any questions on fees

15. This option is designed for individuals who seek to study for the PR Certification for
the purpose of boosting their credentials and career growth potentials. This option
has seen recent graduates and junior – mid level executives enroll for it.
The cost for this option is N90,000 (Ninety thousand naira) for certificate stage
and N60,000 (sixty thousand naira) for diploma stage. This covers for registration
and tuition fee, which covers study materials, audio lectures, workbooks and other
learning support tools.
Note that this does not cover the course registration and examination fees of
N34,000(thirty five thousand naira) for the certificate stage and N24,000 (twenty
four thousand naira) for the diploma stage.
So for instance, if you are sitting for certificate stage with this option, the cost will
be N90,000 + 34,000 = N124,000 (not that there are available flexible payment
options)
Note that the course registration and examination fees are usually paid one month
to the examination period.
STANDARD PACKAGE
*Note that the fees is subject to review: Contact 08098023336 if you have any questions on fees

16. This option is designed for individuals who do not have the time to attend the
regular lectures or do not reside where there are physical lectures(Lagos & Abuja).
They are provided with learning tools (study materials, webinars, audio lectures, e-
books) and study support.
The cost for this option is N45,000 for online lectures, study materials and other
learning tools.
Individuals who want the training at the convenience of their time and schedule.
The cost of this option ranges from N150,000 – N180,000 depending on the
location and the schedule.
Training is scheduled and delivered to staff members of an organization.
The cost for this is dependent on the training programme signed up by the
organization. For details on group training, email hello@pracademy.com.ng
CORRESPONDENCE OPTION
PRIVATE OPTION
GROUP AND CORPORATE TRAINING

17. There are various lecture schedules available
for individuals interested in signing up for the
programme. The preferred option for you will
be based on your personal schedule and which
is most convenient.
WEEKENDS:
For working class and executives and
entrepreneurs busy during weekdays.
•Saturday–9am-2pm
•Sunday–12–4pm
WEEKDAYS
Mondays – 10am – 2pm
Wednesday – 10am -2pm
Friday 10am-2pm
LECTURE SCHEDULE:
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18. @PRAcademyNG
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At the moment there are two lecture and exams
center for the PR examinations. Students outside
Lagos or Abuja will have to sign up for the
correspondence option of lectures and travel to sit
for the exams in either Lagos or Abuja.
LAGOS
13/15 Ikorodu Road, Maryland - Lagos
ABUJA
Suite U7, Humsa Plaza - 4th Avenue- Gwarimpa
CONTACT DETAILS:
08098023336
pracademynigeria@gmail.com
LECTURE CENTERS

19. @PRAcademyNG
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if you want to become an effective communicator,
express your thoughts more clearly, better at writing,
a more strategic thinker, learn how the media works,
understand the tools for media relations, know how
to develop proposals, press releases or media plans...
If you want to understand how to manage a crises,
learn how to use social media to build reputation,
how marketing and sales efforts can be influenced
with effective communication...
Maybe you simply want to acquire these skill sets to
build your own business or change your career to
communication...
a certification in public relations from the Nigerian
Institute of Public Relations(NIPR), can offer you this.
Enroll for lectures and prepare for the forthcoming
diet of the course.
CONCLUSION

20. Public Relations Academy Nigeria
www.pracademy.com.ng
Lagos. Abuja. Port-harcourt
WANT TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE?
HELLO@PRACADEMY.COM.NG
pracademynigeria@gmail.com
Whatsapp: 080-9802-3336
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