The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in collaboration with Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR) and the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), has secured two prestigious 2026 International Public Relations Association (IPRA) Golden World Awards (GWA) for an innovative project focused on artificial intelligence and crisis communication.
The Nigerian entry, titled “AI for Crisis Communication: From Study to Strategy,” was recognised in the Artificial Intelligence for Crisis Management and Publications categories at the global awards ceremony held in Athens, Greece.
The official IPRA winners’ list identified IMPR as the winning organisation, with NITDA and CCC identified as the client partners.
At the centre of the award-winning initiative is the Crisis Communication Hub (CCHub), an innovative national framework that emerged from a 107-page empirical research project on artificial intelligence and crisis communication sponsored by NITDA.
The research examined the opportunities and risks associated with AI-driven communication technologies and recommended a coordinated framework for addressing misinformation, disinformation and emerging digital threats.
The findings subsequently informed the First National Symposium on Digital Innovations in Crisis Communication, convened by the CCC, where stakeholders endorsed the establishment of the CCHub as a multi-stakeholder mechanism for strengthening crisis communication in Nigeria.
The Hub is designed to support real-time monitoring of information threats, detection of fake news and harmful narratives, fact-checking, proactive social listening and coordinated responses during communication emergencies.
Through the initiative, artificial intelligence is being positioned as a tool for strengthening national information management, particularly in identifying emerging digital threats and supporting institutions in responding to rapidly evolving narratives.
The awards were formally received during the high-level global gathering at the iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, with Hajiya Hadiza Umar representing NITDA, alongside Professor Yau Sule of IMPR.
The latest recognition followed the earlier announcement in June that the NITDA/CCC project had reached the final stage of the 2026 Golden World Awards after being shortlisted by an international jury.
The double award placed the Nigerian initiative among projects recognised internationally for innovative approaches to crisis communication, digital governance and the application of emerging technologies to public information management.
For NITDA and its partners, the recognition highlights the value of research-driven innovation, ethical artificial intelligence deployment and strategic communication in strengthening Nigeria’s response to misinformation, disinformation and other challenges in the digital information environment.
The achievement also underscored NITDA’s broader commitment to advancing digital literacy, responsible technology adoption and innovative solutions capable of strengthening Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
