PUBLIC RELATIONS AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: A STUDY OF SELECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Public Relations

This study examined Public relations and conflict management: a study of selected local government areas of Imo state, Nigeria. The study was carried out to ascertain the significant contribution of effective public relations in conflict resolution and conflict settlement in the Nigerian system. Survey research design was adopted and questionnaire was used as the primary instrument of data collection. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentage and the hypotheses tested using chi-square. The findings revealed that there is significant role of public relations in dispute settlements in Imo State and there is significant role of public relations in maintaining positive relationship amongst different LGA in Imo State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Nigerian government should employ professionally trained and qualified public relations practitioners and use them as media officers in the executive organ of government and ministry of information and communication so that they can play positive role in managing ethnic and religious conflict in Nigeria. More so, the public relations practitioners in Nigeria should be made to undergo some security and conflict management training so as to acquire more professional knowledge that will enable them to effectively assist in conflict management in the Nigerian system.

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