Nigeria’s leading disability rights advocate and Chairman of the Abia State Commission for the Welfare of Disabled Persons, Dr. David Obinna Anyaele, ANIPR, is set to join global communication leaders at the 13th World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), scheduled to hold in Abuja from November 15 to 21, 2026.
Dr. Anyaele, who is also the Special Assistant to the Governor of Abia State on Persons with Disabilities and Founding Executive Director of the Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), will lead critical conversations on disability inclusion and responsible communication in the public relations profession.
The global forum, themed “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” will explore the role of strategic communication in building public trust, promoting ethical leadership, advancing inclusion and driving sustainable development.
Drawing on decades of professional experience as a public relations practitioner with lived experience of disability, Dr. Anyaele is expected to share practical approaches to strengthening disability-inclusive public relations practices and dismantling communication and societal barriers confronting persons with disabilities.
A major highlight of his participation will be the special panel session on “Misinformation and Social Cohesion: Restoring Trust through Public Relations,” where he will speak on “Public Relations as a Catalyst for the Removal of Barriers against Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria.”
The session, which will be the first panel discussion of the conference, will draw on practical experiences and emerging disability inclusion initiatives in Abia State to demonstrate how strategic public relations can influence policies, reshape public attitudes and promote equal participation for persons with disabilities.
With his combination of lived experience, academic knowledge, policy expertise and decades of disability rights advocacy, Dr. Anyaele is expected to bring a practical Nigerian perspective to the global conversation on ethical and inclusive communication.
The week-long event will also feature a knowledge-sharing conference under the theme “Responsible Communication in a Digitised World,” bringing together leading voices in public relations, governance, business, academia and civil society.
Organised by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and hosted by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the 13th WPRF is expected to attract participants from more than 126 countries.
The landmark gathering will also coincide with the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the Global Alliance, making the event a significant milestone for the international public relations and communication community.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is expected to serve as Chief Host, while other distinguished international leaders expected at the event include Kenyan President, Dr. William Samoei Ruto, who will be represented by Kenya’s Minister of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy, Hon. William Kabogo Gitau.
The Presidential Keynote Address will be delivered by the President of Zambia, H.E. Hakainde Hichilema.
Other expected participants include communication experts, chief executives, policymakers, government officials, private-sector leaders, youth organisations, civil society representatives, academics and journalists from across the world.
Dr. Anyaele’s participation places disability inclusion firmly within the global public relations conversation, reinforcing the need for communication practices that recognise diversity, challenge discrimination and ensure that persons with disabilities are not merely subjects of communication but active participants in shaping public narratives and decisions.
