Nigerian communications campaign wins IPRA Grand Prix after visa setback

A campaign on artificial intelligence and crisis communication in Nigeria won the Grand Prix at the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards, according to communications professional Yushau A. Shuaib. Writing in Premium Times, Shuaib said the award followed a campaign submitted by Image Merchants Promotion Limited in the AI in Crisis Management and Publications categories.

The awards ceremony was scheduled for September 25 in Athens, Greece. The project began as a research study during Shuaib’s participation in Senior Executive Course 47 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru. After he was withdrawn from the programme, he said he chose to continue the research outside the institution where it began.

The Centre for Crisis Communication endorsed the work, while the National Information Technology Development Agency provided logistical support. Professors Abdalla Uba Adamu and Abiodun Adeniyi reviewed and validated the study, according to Shuaib. The research examined AI-driven misinformation, deepfakes and wider digital information disorder.

Its recommendations informed a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication involving security agencies, government institutions, media organisations, civil society groups and technology experts. Shuaib said the symposium also provided the conceptual foundation for a proposed Crisis Communication Hub. The proposed platform would use AI for social listening, deepfake detection, misinformation monitoring and coordinated crisis messaging across Nigeria’s public sector.

The team was unable to attend the Athens ceremony after the Greek Embassy in Abuja announced it would not issue Schengen visas to Nigerian applicants until the following year. Shuaib said attempts to renew or obtain visas through other diplomatic channels failed, while the International Public Relations Association and Greek partners pursued further efforts.