Nigeria’s foremost current affairs discourse platform, Boiling Point Arena, returns on Sunday, July 12, 2026, with an explosive conversation set to interrogate one of the most contentious issues in the communication profession: whether journalists are naturally equipped to succeed as public relations and reputation managers.
The 45th edition of the monthly discourse, scheduled for 8pm, will examine the provocative theme: “Journalism Is Not Public Relations: Why Many Journalists Are Misfits for Reputation Manager’s Role.”
The once-in-a-month current affairs programme, hosted by a media professional and public relations strategist, Ayo Arowojolu, will be transmitted via Zoom and is to be broadcast live on seven partner radio stations across Lagos, Ogun and Delta States.
Expected to dissect the complex relationship between journalism and strategic communication are three of Nigeria’s most accomplished authorities in journalism, public relations and corporate reputation management.
Leading the panel is Dr. Ike Neliaku, fnipr, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), who has earned national and global recognition for repositioning the Institute through sweeping reforms, professional regulation, digital transformation and international engagements.
Joining him on the panel is veteran journalist and media intellectual, Martins Oloja, fnge, former Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian newspaper and one of Nigeria’s most influential newspaper editors and public affairs columnists. An award-winning journalist, former Editor of The Guardian, pioneer Senior Editor of The Source magazine and Fellow of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Oloja has delivered more than 200 keynote lectures across Nigeria and abroad on journalism, governance, public policy, leadership and reputation management. He remains a respected newspaper columnist and currently serves on the Presidential Livestock Reform Implementation Committee.
Completing the panel is renowned brand and strategic communication expert, Dr. Eddy Ademosu, whose distinguished career spanning over three decades has seen him lead corporate communication and reputation management at some of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions, including Wema Bank, Union Bank and Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank).
Ademosu, a past President and current Board of Trustees member of the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB), is widely respected as one of the country’s leading voices on corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement.
The discourse which is to be chaired by a frontline traditional ruler, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof Saka Matemilola, is expected to provoke fresh thinking on the growing migration of journalists into corporate communications and reputation management, a trend that has become increasingly common across both the public and private sectors.
Participants will examine why professional success in journalism does not always translate into effectiveness in public relations, the distinct competencies demanded by strategic communication, ethical and philosophical differences between both professions, and the implications of the ongoing restructuring of Mass Communication education in Nigerian tertiary institutions into specialised disciplines such as journalism, public relations, advertising and strategic communication.
Organisers believe the discussion is particularly timely as organisations place greater premium on reputation management in an era defined by digital disruption, stakeholder activism, misinformation and heightened public scrutiny.
As with previous editions, the programme is expected to attract journalists, public relations practitioners, academics, communication scholars, corporate executives, students and policy makers interested in the future of communication practice in Nigeria.
Boiling Point Arena, renowned for stimulating informed national conversations on critical issues, will be broadcast live across multiple radio stations and digital streaming platforms, with audiences also participating through interactive phone calls and social media engagements.
Among the partner radio stations are; WASH 94.9FM, Lagos, Sweet 107.1FM, Abeokuta, Roots 97.1FM, Abeokuta, Erimbe 94.7FM, Shagamu, Women Radio 91.7FM, Mowe, Opera Tune 106.3FM, Abeokuta, and Kruzz 92.9FM, Asaba, Delta State alongside a cable television station, NSTV, on GOtv Channel.
