At 2nd Raymond Dokpesi Lecture, NIPR Extols Legacy of Late Media Icon
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has applauded the legacy left behind by the late founder of DAAR Communications Plc, Engr. Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, saying his vision in media and communication continues to serve as a tool for liberation, education, entertainment, and transformation.
NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, who stated this in Abuja on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at the 2nd Diamond Lecture in honour of the late Dokpesi, remarked that during his lifetime, he broke barriers in media, democratised information dissemination and consumption, gave a voice to the voiceless through platforms such as Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower FM, and opened new frontiers for storytelling.
While underlining that the late Dokpesi’s place in Nigerian media history as the first person to make inroads into private broadcasting is undisputed, the NIPR boss said true honour to his memory lies in sustaining his works of shaping minds, building institutions, adding value to humanity, and transforming society through communication, thanking the Dokpesi family for living up to expectations in keeping his legacy.
“In that sense, Dr. Dokpesi was not only a broadcaster; he was a public relations ambassador. He believed in the power of ideas, the dignity of truth, and the strength of responsible communication. Those virtues accounted for his elevation to the rank of Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
“It is this spirit that continues to guide the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations in its mission to build trust, promote ethics, and strengthen the communication foundations of governance and development,” he stated.
Dr. Neliaku also informed the audience that Nigeria recently won the hosting right for the 2026 World Public Relations Forum (WPRF), a flagship programme of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management.
The gathering, scheduled to hold in Abuja in November 2026, is expected to attract delegations from over 120 countries that are members of the Global Alliance.
The theme, “Responsible Communication: The Voice of the World,” which he said aligns with what the late Dokpesi lived for, reaffirms that communication, when guided by ethics, knowledge, and empathy, becomes a tool not just for persuasion, but for peace and progress.
In his remarks, the Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi Jnr., said his late father was not just a media entrepreneur but was passionate and committed to giving Nigeria and Africa at large a platform to tell their own stories, shape their own narratives, and have a say in the global information order.
While underlining that his late father championed pan-African information sovereignty through his private media outlets, Dokpesi Jnr. added that platforms such as AIT and RayPower FM made it possible for citizens to access essential information at no cost, fostering civic engagement and participation in the democratic process.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that our nation advances and thrives on the front burner of authentic information, credible communication, and shared trust. This is the essence of information sovereignty which the late founder of DAAR Communications Plc, my dear father, High Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, firmly stood for. That is the meaning of development in the information dissemination landscape,” he stated.
While reiterating the commitment of DAAR Communications to upholding the legacy of his late father, Chief Dokpesi Jnr. said the organisation will continue to ensure that every citizen has access to free-to-air TV services as a way of strengthening democracy and preserving the nation’s cultural heritage while promoting transparency, equity, and resilience in communities.
The Guest Lecturer, Governor of Nasarawa State, His Excellency Engr. Abdullahi Sule, described the late Dokpesi as a visionary who broke new ground in Nigerian media by founding AIT and RayPower FM, giving Africa a voice that revolutionised how stories were told and information shared in Nigeria, shaping how the world began to see Africa in a new light.
“Today, we honour the memory of High Chief Raymond Dokpesi because he was the first visionary to pioneer the first satellite television station in Nigeria and also the first privately owned radio station in Nigeria.
“So, as we look at the life of Raymond Dokpesi, I want us to ask ourselves the question: if you happen to be number one, or you’re the first person to reach the finish line when you run an athletic race, what do you do with that position?
“For me, the most remarkable thing about the legacy of Chief Raymond Dokpesi is the fact that years after he has been laid to rest, we are all gathered here in his name and in his honour. Best of all, we are here under the auspices of both RayPower and AIT, which Dokpesi created in 1992 and have since expanded and are still thriving as shining examples of corporate brilliance and professionalism in the media industry.
"That simply means that chief Raymond Dokpesi became number 1 in the private media industry and he put in place institutions and mechanisms to make sure his legacy of becoming number 1 did not die with him, but remained alive and thriving after his own death. that is the true purpose of becoming No 1", he noted.
The governor, who was conferred with Honorary Fellowship of NIPR urged the family is Dokpesi to continue to nurture and uphold his vision of liberalising the information and communication space in order the give under-served communities a voice.
