The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, has commended the PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship (YCF), describing the mentorship initiative as timely and important for grooming a new generation of effective communicators and leaders committed to peace, stability and national cohesion.

The Emir gave the commendation when officials and participants of the fellowship paid him a courtesy visit at his palace in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Sulu-Gambari expressed satisfaction that the organisers had extended the fellowship to Ilorin alongside its programmes in Abuja and Kano, noting that the initiative would provide young people with valuable professional knowledge and practical communication skills.

He commended the founder of the fellowship for establishing a branch of the organisation in Ilorin and ensuring that young people in the state benefit annually from the training programme.

The traditional ruler also praised Emirate FM for its multilingual programming, which he said had been beneficial to residents of the Ilorin Emirate and audiences beyond the state.

He applauded the entrepreneurial efforts behind PRNigeria and Emirate FM, particularly their investments in journalism and public relations as instruments for information, education and community development.

Speaking during the visit, the Chief Executive Officer of Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of PRNigeria and Economic Confidential, Yushau A. Shuaib, described the engagement with the Emir as personally significant and nostalgic.

Shuaib recalled his family's longstanding ties to the Ilorin Emirate, saying his great-grandfather and late father, who hailed from Agaka compound, had enjoyed the blessings of the palace as Islamic scholars in the community.

He described Ilorin as a city where tradition, scholarship and leadership converge, while acknowledging the Emir's role as a symbol of wisdom, stability and moral guidance within the Emirate and beyond.

Briefing the monarch on the fellowship, Shuaib said the initiative was established to groom young Nigerians in ethical communication, journalism, crisis communication and emerging digital-media practices.

He explained that through mentorship, practical training and exposure to relevant institutions, participants are equipped to communicate responsibly, uphold professional ethics and contribute to national development.

Shuaib said the programme had continued to provide young communicators with opportunities to interact with experienced journalists, public relations practitioners, institutional leaders and other professionals.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Emirate FM, Alhaji Abdulazeez Orowona, commended the Emir for consistently encouraging indigenes of Ilorin to invest in their home community and contribute to its development.

He said the traditional ruler's emphasis on integrity, discipline, community service, and respect for knowledge reflected the values responsible organisations should instil in young professionals.

According to him, the visit gave the fellows an opportunity to appreciate that leadership should be defined not merely by influence and visibility but by character and service to society.

The visit formed part of activities designed to expose participants in the PRNigeria Young Communication Fellowship to traditional institutions, community leadership and the role of effective communication in promoting social cohesion.

At the end of the engagement, Shuaib presented copies of his books, MNI Versus MNIPR in NIPSS and AI in Crisis Communication in Nigeria, to the Emir.