Saheed Ibrahim

The Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ondo State chapter, Mr. Lamidi Ishola has stressed that professional bodies are pivotal to the development and employability of students.

Ishola, who spoke with The Hope on in an exclusive interview, stressed that being members of professional bodies will avail the students intensive practical experiences and increases their chances of employment.

“Taking Mass Communication Students as examples, the theoretical aspect is not enough to give them the needed exposure and competence to make them compete favourably with their colleagues across the world.

“That is the platform NIPR and APCON provided for the students. The bodies give the students the needed pragmatic perspectives of what they have been taught in class.

“They give the professional touch that will make them more relevant in the labour market. The bodies complement what the students have been taught”, he explained.

He stressed that although the universities and other tertiary institutions also give practical trainings to the students, the professional bodies basically focus on giving the students real life experiences to enhance their skills and competence.

Speaking on job opportunities, the Ondo NIPR Chairman said the bodies also give the students edge over their counterparts without any professional affiliation.

“It gives the students competitive advantage over those that do not belong to any professional body. By the time they become members, it gives them additional advantage over others.

“APCON and NIPR also organise training programmes to enhance their capacity, apart from the connection they will have to those already practicing in the industry”, he stated.