The Chief Press Secretary to Kwara State Governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, has been honoured with the prestigious 2024 ‘Spokesperson of the Year’ Award in Political Communications Category at the 4th edition of National Spokespersons Award.
The award ceremony was held during the National Spokespersons’ Summit in Abuja from the 25th to the 28th of March 2024, with the theme “Change Narrative, Change Society.” The event was attended by who is who in Nigeria including governors, media executives and other distinguished personalities.
According to the Chairman of the Awards Committee and former Chairman of NIPR, Lagos Chapter, Segun Mcmedal, the essence of the award is to showcase the exceptional public relations contributions and unwavering commitment to the people by spokespersons of government, government agencies and public corporations across the country.
The award is jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), the publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential, and Spokespersons’ Digest, to acknowledge the outstanding contributions of communication professionals and spokespersons across Nigeria.
In a post-award interview with InsiderNg, Ajakaye dedicates the award to Kwara State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and further shared insights into the driving forces behind his success.
“I thank Almighty Allah for His mercies. I feel elated at the recognition, which, for me, is a tonic to double down in the business of image making in an ethical way. I am also humbled by the enormity of the challenges that come with being so mentioned on the national scene, and I ask God to guide me to be grateful to Him”.
“This award is dedicated to His Excellency the Governor who gave me the opportunity and continues to support me to serve, my esteemed colleagues in the media team, and in the government as a whole. I thank the people of the state for their continuous support for His Excellency and for their understanding and appreciation of his commitment and efforts to build a greater Kwara”.
“My profound appreciation goes to my family in its narrowest and widest senses, especially my darling wife. I thank my colleagues in the Office of the CPS Government House, the NIPR Family in Kwara State, and the larger media fraternity in the state and across the country, including the digital naturals and stakeholders who have altered our understanding of media engagements and public communications. This win is for everyone”.