At the 36th Annual Conference of the African Public Relations Association (APRA 2025), Ghana’s Kobi Hemaa Osisiadan-Bekoe underscored the critical role of public relations professionals in defending democratic values amidst the growing threat of digital misinformation across the continent.
Speaking during a high-level plenary session on “Digital Subversion in the Age of Democracy,” Kobi Hemaa delivered a compelling presentation titled “Combating Misinformation: The PR Practitioner’s Role in Safeguarding Democratic Narratives.”
She emphasized that in today’s media-saturated environment, PR professionals must move beyond traditional roles and become “architects of trust” within society. “Our job is to bring structure, strategy, and sense to the chaos, we are guardians of public trust.”
Kobi Hemaa introduced a powerful framework she called G.R.A.C.E., outlining five guiding principles for communication professionals:
• G – Guardians of Truth
• R – Resilience in the face of misinformation
• A – Active learning and continuous development
• C – Collaboration across borders and platforms
• E – Engagement through the same digital tools used to distort truth
Her presentation received widespread acclaim for its clarity, relevance, and practical application to the challenges faced by communicators across Africa.
The session was moderated by renowned Nigerian communicator and president of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations Dr. Ike Neliaku and featured insightful contributions from a diverse panel of speakers including Chris Wangalwa, MPRSK (Kenya), Lamara Garba (Nigeria), and Dr. Oluwatosin Adesile (Nigeria).
The Ghanaian delegation made a strong impression at the conference, with several representatives actively engaging in sessions.
The presence of Ghana’s communicators reinforced the country’s growing influence in shaping the narrative of responsible and ethical public relations on the continent.
Notably, Esther Cobbah, President of IPR Ghana and CEO of Stratcomm Africa, delivered a powerful message on breaking barriers in the PR profession. She inspired women professionals across the continent to “do more with no excuses”, sharing stories of resilience and purpose that resonated deeply with the audience.
Another member of the Ghanaian delegation, Gladys Asare Danquah, enriched the conversations with a compelling presentation on the power of storytelling in telling Africa’s own narrative—urging practitioners to use culturally rooted stories to reclaim and shape the continent’s image.
As part of the closing announcements, it was revealed that the 37th APRA Annual Conference (APRA 2026) will be hosted in Nigeria.
Anticipation is already building for another opportunity to deepen dialogue, build networks, and reinforce the value of ethical communication in Africa’s development agenda.
Organized under the theme “One Africa, One Voice: 50 Years of African PR Excellence,” APRA 2025 gathered over 500 communication professionals, policymakers, academics, and media leaders from across Africa and the diaspora.
The event served as a platform to reflect on the achievements of African PR while charting new pathways for the future in an age defined by digital influence and narrative warfare.
