The Debate: PR Deserves a Seat at the Table. But the Reality is…

Public Relations is one of few professions with multiple and cross-departmental roles. In spite of multiple core functions, PR remains one of the few departments with cross-departmental responsibilities. A PR team collaborates with Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Legal, and Finance departments where necessary to achieve strategic organisational goals.

Globally, PR practitioners believe the profession is undervalued and underrepresented in the boardroom where critical decisions about an organisation are made. For instance, many Public Relations practitioners in Nigeria may not have the opportunity to reach the zenith of the profession, because only a few handfuls of organisations have PR representation in the boardroom. Meanwhile, sitting among the ladies and gentlemen of the Board is considered the highest attainable position of a PR professional, at least for now.

Public Relations has evolved over the years from a straight-forward profession into a complex management role that requires practitioners to embrace a deeper understanding of an organisation, customers, employees, communities, market landscape, competitors, suppliers, and other stakeholders within the business ecosystem. The 2026 World PR Day, “The Golden Age of Strategic Public Relations” acknowledged the dynamics of today’s Public Relations. The theme highlights the evolution of the profession from a tactical and reactive function into a strategic role in an era of abundant information driven by speed and access, which requires practitioners to embrace and understand the synergy between human and technology, especially artificial intelligence.

The golden age of strategic PR depends on, or reflects how an organisation perceives, uses, or explores Public Relations. A golden age signifies a period of peak performance. For context, picture the Product Life Cycle framework and compare it to Public Relations. A product hits a golden age (peak performance) at Maturity stage. To sustain relevance at maturity stage, the product has to keep up with performance by maintaining certain standards and reinventing itself where necessary. The maturity stage of PR is the golden age of the profession, where it is offered a seat in the boardroom. Having a seat at the table is neither a request nor a clamour. It is not achieved through a silent protest. It is earned. For that to happen, PR has to go beyond the surface, deep into the business layer, and connect what it does to organisational goals and priorities. Value and impact come in different forms: financial, efficiency, reputation, relationships. Whatever value a PR professional brings to an organisation should be captured and reported on in a language the business understands.

Those who have found ways to do that have earned their seats: Emeka Oparah of Airtel Africa, Femi Adeniran of Airtel Nigeria, Diran Olojo of FCMB Group, Chioma Afe of Seplat Energy, have found ways to earn their seats. UBA Group used to have a Director for corporate communications during the days of Bola Atta. Globacom had a Director during the time of Olabode Opeseitan, IHS Nigeria also has a Director for corporate communications. Although large organisations tend to embrace public relations more than small and mid-sized firms; however, the challenge is the same. Earning management’s respect depends on what you solve and how you report on what you solve.

I strongly believe that having a seat at the table is tied to measuring and reporting on what matters to the business or making what you measure and report on matter to the business.The long-standing argument that what PR does is intangible and largely impossible to measure is no longer valid. Changes in reputation, impact on the organisation, customers, communities, and other stakeholders, efficiency (doing more for less), impact of relationships, and stakeholders’ trust can be measured, evaluated and reported upon. Public Relations deserves a seat at the table, but the reality is that what PR measures and reports on determines its chances of earning a seat at the table.

Austin Ayaosi, Lead Analyst at BrandImpact Consulting
Austin is a public relations measurement, evaluation, and research expert with fourteen years of experience in helping communications managers and brand owners measure and evaluate the impact of public relations on organisations, providing expert advice on how to tie communications objectives to business goals, and turning data into insights to make smarter decisions and achieve better results.