Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), a Nigerian company, has won the Grand Prix, the highest honor at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards. The awards ceremony was held at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, Greece. IMPR's campaign, "AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy," earned the global prize. The jury described the campaign as representing the highest standards of public relations practice in 2026.
IMPR's achievement was celebrated by its staff members in Abuja, Nigeria, as the trophies arrived at the company's main base. The company also won two Golden World Awards in the AI in Crisis Management and Publication categories. IPRA President Esther Cobbah commended IMPR's outstanding performance at the ceremony. The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, received the Grand Prix on behalf of IMPR. He was also honored with a special award for his contributions to transparent communication and stakeholder engagement.
IMPR's Chief Executive Officer, Yushau Shuaib, expressed his delight at receiving the Grand Prix. He described it as a historic achievement for the company and a landmark moment for Nigeria's public relations industry. Shuaib mentioned that IMPR has participated in the IPRA Golden World Awards for 10 years, and this is the first time the company has been honored with the Grand Prix. The award is a testament to the trust, collaboration, and professionalism of IMPR's clients, partners, and stakeholders.
The winning campaign demonstrates how research-driven public relations can inform institutional reforms and address national challenges. Shuaib thanked the Federal Ministry of Information, Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Customs Service, media partners, security agencies, and the research team for their input and support. IPRA Secretary-General Philip Sheppard noted that the winning campaign was a pioneering initiative at the intersection of artificial intelligence and public relations.
The 2026 Grand Prix was awarded to IMPR for its contribution to the emerging application of AI in strategic communication. Sheppard announced that the Global Contribution Award went to V+O Greece | SEC Newgate for Mastercard's ReStart employment initiative. The event was attended by PR professionals from over 50 countries. A delegation from Nigeria included IMPR Board Chairman Professor Sule Yau Sule, NITDA spokesperson Hadiza Umar, and Emirate Radio's Managing Director, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona.
IMPR has a history of excellence in public relations. In 2020, the company was named the world's most creative PR agency in the Global Creativity Index published by PRovoke Media. The 2026 prize in Greece began as a project by Shuaib after he withdrew from the Senior Executive Course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). The research examined the threats of AI-driven misinformation and digital information disorder.
The research findings were translated into a strategic communication framework to strengthen Nigeria's crisis-response capabilities. The recommendations informed the inaugural National Symposium on Digital Innovations in Crisis Communication, which convened security agencies, government institutions, and technology experts. The symposium laid the foundation for the proposed Crisis Communication Hub (CCHub), a 24-hour, AI-enabled platform designed for social listening and misinformation monitoring.
Key points
- IMPR won the Grand Prix at the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards for its campaign "AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy."
- The company also won two Golden World Awards in the AI in Crisis Management and Publication categories.
- The award is a testament to the trust, collaboration, and professionalism of IMPR's clients, partners, and stakeholders.
