The African Public Relations Association (APRA) this morning signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), having accepted an invitation
earlier to partner in hosting the 2026 Effective Communicators Conference (ECC) taking
place from 14th – 17th July 2026 at The Dome, in Namibia’s adventure capital and coastal
resort city of Swakopmund.
Focusing on “Communication Reconsidered: A Driving Force for Constant Progress”, the
ECC is co-organised by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
(MICT) of Namibia, whose Minister, Honourable Emma Theofelus, earlier today in
Windhoek, performed a public unveiling of the events leading to the conference after the
signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between NAMPA and APRA.
The ECC rallies Africa’s liveliest and informed minds as well as global partners in public
relations, marketing, government communications, journalism and digital media to
rethink how Africa tells her stories to shape the future and the prosperity of the
continent. This aligns with APRA’s vision to shape the upturns and uptakes of the central
role of communication as a premium driver of development, and to encourage the
gathering of public relations and communication management scholars, professionals and
policy makers for meaning making, knowledge production and immersion in requisite
skills and sharing rational, empirical thoughts necessary to navigate the challenges of
contemporary communication.
APRA President, Mr. Arik Karani, who was represented at the signing of the MoU this
morning by the Secretary General of APRA, Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, appreciates African
governments, institutions and stakeholders’ increasing commitment to placing
communication at the heart of governance. Karani stated that the commitment to
collaboration by APRA and MICT through NAMPA constitutes a milestone in the
collective vision for good standards, education and re-establishing communication as the
foundational pillar and driving force for progress. “We are committed to telling the
African story with shared intentions, cooperative, evidence-based, safe, ethical and
responsible communication to enhance understanding, trust, stability and prosperity of
the continent”, Karani stated.
Built around six high-level strategic forums, ECC 2026 will bring together leaders,
practitioners, and decision-makers in purpose-designed spaces to shape the future of
communication. While discussions will draw significantly from Southern African
perspectives and priorities, the outcomes and insights are expected to resonate across
the continent. A key foreground of ECC 2026 is the Heads of States and Diplomatic
Forum – A high-level gathering of presidents, vice presidents, ministers, and diplomatic
representatives to align on regional communication priorities and Africa’s narrative on
the world stage.
Other discourses include: Captains of Industry Forum, planned to explore the role of
businesses in shaping regional progress; Editors and Journalists Forum – an exclusive
forum for editors, senior journalists and communication practitioners where press
freedom, information integrity, and the future of African journalism will be discussed;
Government Communicators Forum – practitioners-led space for government
information officers, ministry spokespersons, and public sector communicators to share
frameworks and align messaging; Strategic Communications and Public Relations Forum
to feature public relations consultants, agency leaders and in-house communication
strategists with a focus on covering crisis communications, reputation management, and
integrated campaigns; and Digital Storytelling Forum, where participants will discuss
emerging digital tools, social technology platforms, AI in content creation, and the rise of
creator-led storytelling across the African continent.
The foregoing places the Namibian conference as a rare assemblage of Africa’s key actors
in communication governance and the increasing role communication is positioned to
play in the Continent’s march towards a new frontier of growth, development and
prosperity. Over 1000 people are expected at the forum, where APRA will host its 2026
annual general meeting, ahead of its 37th annual conference taking place in Abuja in
November 2026 during the World Public Relations Forum.
