Hajiya Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has joined other prominent Nigerian public relations professionals and communications leaders from across the world at the 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards (GWA) Gala in Athens, Greece.
The high-profile gathering, held at the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne in the Greek capital, brought together leading figures in the global public relations industry to celebrate excellence and recognise outstanding achievements in strategic communication, according to a report by Royal News.
Other prominent Nigerians at the prestigious event include the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi; Associate Professor Sule Ya’u Sule, Chairman of Image Merchants Limited, publishers of PRNigeria; and Dr Abdulazeez Arowona, Managing Director/CEO of Emirate 98.5 FM and spokesman to the Emir of Ilorin.
The Managing Director/CEO of Image Merchants Promotion Limited and publisher of PRNigeria was also represented at the international gathering.
The IPRA Golden World Awards for Excellence ceremony and gala dinner took place at 19:15 on Friday, September 25, 2026, attracting public relations practitioners and communications professionals from different countries.
Beyond the celebration of professional excellence, the 2026 edition holds special historical significance as Athens hosts the prestigious awards for the first time.
The Greek capital is also closely associated with one of the defining milestones in the history of public relations ethics, the adoption of the Code of Athens in 1965. The document established ethical principles that have helped shape professional practice and standards in public relations across the world.
The Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel at 1 Vasileos Georgiou A’ Street, served as the official hotel for the 2026 IPRA Golden World Awards for Excellence.
The convergence of the Nigerian PR and communications professionals with their international counterparts in Athens provided an opportunity for professional networking, knowledge exchange and the celebration of global standards in public relations.
The Golden World Awards remain one of the international PR industry’s prominent platforms for recognising excellence in public relations campaigns, strategic communication and professional practice.