ABSTRACT

Inn this project, the researcher undertook a comparative assessment of public relations functions in the Nigerian banking system and government parastatals. Towards this end, the researcher randomly selected 92 staff of ANAMMCO LTD.and ALL STATE TRUST BANK PLC.to forms the study sample. These 92 members of the study sample were given 92 copies of the structured questionnaires to complete. Their responses are analysed using percentages. The result of the analysis led to the following findings:

1)   There are some shades of differences in PR activities as a being practiced by  banks and government parastatals in Nigeria. For instance, banks are more serious and regular in terms of embarking on PR activities than government parastatals. Also government parastatals are usually stingy in terms of spending on PR activities.

2)   The effects of the difference in PR on the corporate image of banks and parastatals are two – fold. One is that people have a greater confidence dealing with banks, than with government parastatals. Also unlike banks, government parastatals are seen as been a comatose by the members of the public

3)   Amon the PR activities embarked upon by the banks and government parastatals (to some extent) are the following: lobbying sponsorship of community development projects (eg scholarships, health programmes, and the production of documentary films.)

4)   Government perastattals need to be more serious about PR activities.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

According to Webster is new international dictionary third edition, public relations is “ the promotion of rapport and goodwill between a person, firm or institutions and other persons, special publics or community at large through the distributions of interpretative materials, the development of neighbourly interchange and assessment of public reactions”

The international public relations association defines public relations as management functions of a contuining and planned character, through which public and private organizations and institution seek to win and retain the understanding, sympathy and support of those with whom they are or may be concerned.

According to Mbachu(2000) refers public relations as any activity concerned with creating and maintaining favorable relations between an organization and its publics, such as the customers, employees, shareholders, and the community at large. This implies that public relations (PR) is any deliberate, planned and sustained efforts aimed at establishing mutual understanding between an organization and its publics.