The PR Power List is a groundbreaking initiative created by GLG Communications in collaboration with The Guardian to commend and recognise distinctive PR professionals in Nigeria, coinciding with the annual celebration of World PR Day on July 16. This yr’s listing showcases some acquainted faces from final yr in addition to new entrants who’ve distinguished themselves within the final 12 months:
ICONS – These people haven’t solely made exceptional contributions to the general public relations business however have additionally established strong foundations for his or her friends, finally reshaping the PR panorama in Nigeria and Africa at Large. For 2023, we have now a PR Icon with over 30 years of experience with an immense influence that may be seen by his pioneering efforts.
CHANGEMAKERS – Experts, company founders, c-suite executives, and leaders who’ve earned recognition as a few of the most influential figures throughout the Nigerian PR business. Their experience and affect have propelled them ahead.
COMMUNITY IMPACT – Acknowledging these devoted to creating platforms or communities that foster development in PR and communication fields. These builders set up nerve facilities the place business professionals can improve their abilities and encourage others.
RISING VOICES – These are younger business leaders with formidable abilities throughout the realm of PR. Through resilience and innovation, they defy all odds whereas reworking manufacturers with unparalleled creativity.
MEDIA IMPACT – We can not overlook the integral function of the media platforms, with out which our notion of PR would stay incomplete. The contributions from these business media homes play a pivotal function in amplifying our work.
With love and gratitude,
Omawumi Ogbe
Managing Partner, GLG Communications.
ICON
Yomi Badejo-Okusanya
Group Managing Director at CMC Connect (Perception Managers).
With an illustrious profession spanning over 30 years within the Marketing Communications business, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya is a real icon. Affectionately known as YBO, Badejo-Okusanya is the Group Managing Director at CMC Connect (Perception Managers). In 2010, he grew to become the primary recipient of the PR Golden Eagle Award because the Most Outstanding Public Relations Person of the Year. His exceptional journey continued with quite a few accolades, together with being the inaugural recipient of the Bob Ogbuagu Leadership Award in 2017. As a Board Member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), he performed a pivotal function in mainstreaming Africa into world PR apply. His selfless service to the African Public Relations Association (APRA) as a two-term Secretary-General and two-term President (2016-2023) has been instrumental in elevating the career on the continent. The West African Chair for the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), Badejo-Okusanya’s invaluable contributions have earned him a well-deserved place as the primary African to be inducted into the distinguished International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) Hall of Fame.
CHANGEMAKERS
Adetokunbo Modupe
CEO of TPT International Ltd.
With over 24 years of expertise in advertising communications and public relations, Modupe is likely one of the most sought-after notion administration specialists in Africa. His agency, TPT International Ltd, emerged because the Digital And Social Media Agency Of The Year At Lapriga 2022. Also PR Agency of the Year on the Nigerian Marketing Awards.
Adewunmi Desalu
BUA Foods-Director, Marketing, and Corporate Communications
Adewumi Desalu is the advertising and communications director at BUA Foods, Nigeria’s main Food and Fast-moving shopper items (FMCG) enterprise. With a confirmed monitor report in successfully main cross-functional groups, she has collaborated with outstanding firms akin to Spotify, Samsung, Axa Mansard, and Globacom. Notably, she performed a pivotal function in main BUA Foods to its itemizing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2022.
Amaechi Michael Okobi
Group Head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank Plc
Highly motivated advertising and communications skilled with in depth working expertise in numerous industries. At Access Bank, he manages the Corporate Communications and External Affairs Department with tasks that embody the event of the Bank’s communications technique as associated to Brand Strategy & Advertising; Media and Public Relations; Events & Sponsorship; and Corporate Social duty & Sustainability.
Anthony Chiejina
Group Head, Corporate Communications, Dangote Group.
Anthony Chiejina is a company communications skilled with over twenty years of expertise. He at the moment serves because the Group Head of Corporate Communications at Dangote Group, one in all Africa’s largest conglomerates. He has been with the corporate as a senior communicator for 16 years—throughout which it has gained quite a few awards in Nigeria and throughout the complete African continent.
Anurika Azubuike
Consultant, Africa Regional Communications, International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Anurika Azubuike is the Consultant on the Africa Regional Communications arm of the International Finance Corporation the place she communicates IFC’s excessive influence work and thought management in driving personal sector-led development within the sub-Saharan Africa area. She has twenty years of hands-on expertise overlaying technique, advertising, communications, development partnerships, and enterprise administration for start-ups.
Ayeni Adekunle
Founder/CEO at BHM
Described in Forbes Africa Magazine as “one of many pioneers who led Nigeria into the digital-first technique period of Marketing Communications”, Ayeni was named Nigeria’s PR Practitioner of the Year in 2017. He is the founder and CEO of BHM Group, a number one public relations and media firm in Nigeria. He is the Chairman of the committee in control of the Africa PR & Communications report, the primary world PR and Communications report from Africa.
Bola Balogun
Founder and CEO of The Glam Brand Agency
Bola Balogun stands as a trailblazer on the earth of way of life and wonder PR consultancy in Nigeria. She is the founding father of Glam Brand Agency, a famend agency devoted to positioning manufacturers, and their merchandise for exponential development. Through efficient model technique and top-notch public relations companies, the company has performed a pivotal function in reworking the panorama of brand name positioning in Nigeria.
Bukola Sawyerr Izeogu
Founder & CEO, BukiHQ Media
A robust advocate for gender equality, Bukola Sawyerr is an skilled communications skilled with over 20 years of expertise. She is the Chief Executive Officer of BukiHQ Media, a public and media relations agency and Edge Solutions Company, a content material communication firm, the place she leads devoted professionals to handle shoppers together with Burna Boy, Adekunle Gold, Mr Eazi, and M.I.
Chinma Banksharon-Nwaneri
Senior Marketing Manager, Tecno Telecoms Nigeria.
Chinma is an skilled advertising and communications knowledgeable with 12 years of labor expertise spanning Storytelling, Project planning, and administration, Digital advertising, Channel Management, Brand Management, Media planning & shopping for, and Customer analytics. She leads Tecno’s Marketing, Public Relations, and Digital Team for Nigeria which is over 60% of the SSA market.
Comfort Obot Nwankwo
Chairman, Lagos NIPR
Comfort Obot is the Managing Director of Cicom International Limited, an expert signage design, manufacturing, and set up firm primarily based in Nigeria. She can also be the Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR, the place she is steering the ship of essentially the most highly effective department of the affiliation.
Efosa Aiyevbomwan
PR & Publicity Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Netflix.
Efosa Aiyevbomwan is a Senior Marketing Communications skilled with in depth expertise within the initiation and execution of campaigns for multinational manufacturers throughout completely different sectors. He is the PR & Publicity Manager for Netflix in Sub-Saharan Africa the place he handles all PR affairs within the area. In his function, Africa has seen elevated recognition within the world film area, with the premiere of the Queen Charlotte collection and different Nollywood first-of-its-kind collection and films.
Elizabeth Oputa
Senior Brand Manager Amazon Prime Video.
Elizabeth Oputa is a Creative Marketing Leader with 15 years of expertise in each model administration and company advertising in varied international locations, together with the US, Nigeria, Argentina, and England. In her function as Senior Brand Manager at Amazon Prime Video, she has dealt with high collaboration together with the launch of the first-ever Prime Video advertising campaigns in Africa – South Africa and Nigeria, all in lower than two years.
Elizabeth Osho
Co-Founder & Lead Strategist, So.Me Solutions
A talented strategist and communications knowledgeable, Elizabeth Osho is the visionary founding father of So.MeSolutions. With over fifteen years of expertise, she champions a humanized and modern method to PR, diverging from the traditional media relations mannequin. Over the previous yr, her workforce has dealt with high PR jobs for manufacturers together with the premiere of black panther in Nigeria and the Essence Festival of Culture amongst others. With her visionary management, the corporate has expanded outdoors the African continent, bagging high luxurious shoppers within the course of.
Emeka Oparah
Vice President Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Africa
Multiple award-winning disaster administration knowledgeable, and rebranding veteran, Emeka Oparah has over 25 years of constant communications apply spanning promoting, public relations, and company social duty. He at the moment works because the Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Africa in Dubai the place he’s accountable for popularity and notion administration in addition to company social duty (CSR).
Femi Falodun
Executive Director, BHM Holdings
A advertising and communications skilled with huge expertise in the usage of advertising rules, artistic multimedia content material, public relations methods and digital instruments. A chartered marketer, he has led groups accountable for the event, launch and administration of digital know-how merchandise and platforms, akin to Thenet.ng and Neusroom.com (media), Plaqad.com (advertising tech) and NECLive (leisure and inventive business convention).
Francesca Uriri
Global Internal and Executive Communications Lead of Diversity and Inclusion at Meta
Francesca is an skilled, results-oriented communications chief with a world background and over 16 years of expertise in strategic and inclusive communications. She is the top of world inside and government communications for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at Meta (previously Facebook) the place she drives the communication technique to successfully convey the corporate’s DEI initiatives and interact the in depth workforce of almost 100,000 workers.
Funso Aina
Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria Plc
With over 26 years of cumulative expertise, Funso is a public relations/company communications skilled with multi-sectoral expertise in telecommunications, cultural diplomacy, and journalism. He at the moment works as Senior Manager, External Relations at MTN Nigeria the place he leads technique and drives focused engagement with the corporate’s vital stakeholders. He was lately named Innovator of the Year (model) on the IN2 SABRE Awards.
Ijeoma Balogun
CEO, Redrick Public Relations
Ijeoma Balogun is an award-winning way of life journalist, Forbes Africa 30 below 30 honoree, and seasoned media & communications skilled with over 10 years of brand-building expertise working with Consumer, Lifestyle & Tech manufacturers throughout mass & area of interest markets because the CEO of Redrick Public Relations. Redrick PR roster of shoppers contains authorities businesses, worldwide companies, and SMEs akin to Prime Video, BAV Consulting (a unit of the WPP Group & Forbes Global 2000), Hayat Kimya Nigeria, Mitsubishi Motors, L’Oreal Group, Moët Hennessey, The Federal Ministry of Trade & Industry, to say a couple of.
Itiola Omobolaji Ikudinakin
Director of Marketing and Communications, Opay.
Itiola Omobolaji Ikudinakin is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Opay, one in all Nigeria’s Fintech firms. During the foreign money change and money crunch in Nigeria, she performed a pivotal function in Opay’s consumer-centric advertising mannequin, that helped the corporate improve its customers to over 35 million customers and 500,000 brokers.
Jide Sipe
Head, Marketing and Corporate Communication at Ecobank Nigeria
Babajide Sipe is the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communication at Ecobank Nigeria. He leads and enriches the Bank’s Marketing and Corporate Communications Department, the place he ensures that the Bank stays the go-to financial institution for Pan-African commerce facilitation and funds. Pior to becoming a member of Ecobank, Jide spent over a decade with Guaranty Trust Bank in key roles together with – Head of Brand Management and Experiential Marketing, Head Corporate Communications and Media Relations, amongst others.
Laolu Thomas
Senior Public Relations Manager – DStv
Laolu Thomas is an expert and impeccably offered and pushed Brand Strategist with expertise in maximizing the attention, gross sales and profitability of recognizable manufacturers. She is the Senior Public Relations Manager at DSTV, high sub-Saharan African video leisure firm the place she shapes and enhances the model’s popularity by strategic communications and media relations.
Mabel (Aladenusi) Adeteye
Head, Brand & Marketing Communications, Wema Bank.
Mabel Adeteye is a extremely expert company communications and public relations skilled with in depth experience spanning over a decade. A member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) within the UK, she has held vital roles, together with Head of Corporate Communications, PR & Digital, at a outstanding Nigerian broadcast media firm, TVC Communications. Her vital contributions made the rollout of the financial institution’s “Sounds of ALAT”, a platform to help younger creatives within the leisure business an enormous success.
Michelle Atagana
Head of Communications and Public Relations, Africa at Spotify.
Michelle Atagana is the Head of Communications and Public Relations, Africa at Spotify the place she units native technique and implements communications campaigns throughout all channels in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Recently, below her management, the corporate launched Afrobeats: The Journey of a Thousand Streams, a web site that explores the origins of Afrobeats and its world success. The firm has additionally been extra intentional in regards to the African continent from the New Africa Podcast Fund to new playlists amplifying the African sounds.
Niyi Aderibigbe
Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Transcorp Hotels Plc.
Over the previous 10 years, Niyi Aderibigbe has executed methods to develop model enchantment and profitability by advertising campaigns, and robust public and media relations. He at the moment leads Marketing & Corporate Communications at Transcorp Hotels Plc, the place he develops development technique and content material as the corporate continues to construct one in all Africa’s largest hospitality manufacturers.
Ngozi Emeagi
Director, Communications – Data and Analytics at London Stock Exchange Group, UK.
Ngozi is a strategic communications skilled with in depth expertise in Financial Services and most lately, Insurance. Experience in Corporate, Financial, Brand PR, and Crisis Comms and enthusiastic about driving range and inclusion applications inside organizations. She was listed in PR Week’s UK Power Book of 2023 as one of the vital PR practitioners in Britain.
Oluwasola Obagbemi
Corporate Communications Manager, Anglophone West Africa at Meta
Sola, a seasoned Public Relations and Communications skilled, has excelled in her 11-year profession journey. Currently serving because the Corporate Communications Manager for Anglophone West Africa at Meta (previously known as Facebook), she oversees model communications throughout a number of international locations together with Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, and Sierra Leone. Sola is a fellow of International Management Consultants (FIMC, CMC), demonstrating her experience within the discipline.
Omasan Ogisi
General Manager, External Communications, MTN
Omasan is a confirmed Marketing and Communications skilled with in depth expertise of virtually twenty years delivering public relations, advertising, gross sales, and workforce management by complete built-in communications initiatives. She is the present General Manager, External Communications at Telecoms large, MTN South Africa.
Orimolade Oluwamuyemi
Senior Business Program Manager, MarComms at Microsoft, ADC West Africa
Orimolade Oluwamuyemi is a communication and public affairs knowledgeable with fourteen (14+) years of expertise. He is enthusiastic about unlocking rising markets’ immense potential, by advocating for the relevance of younger folks in Africa to amass digital literacy with the efficient deployment of know-how for social & financial influence.
Otega Ogra
Director & Group Head, Corporate Communications, BUA Group
Otega Ogra is the Director and Group Head of Corporate Communications at BUA Group the place he charts and drives a strategic communications and model administration technique for the Group and its subsidiaries. Before now, he has labored as Head of Corporate Communications at Wema Bank, and Corporate Communications Manager at Guaranty Trust Bank.
Rafiat Gawat
Head, of Corporate Communication at TGI Group
Rafiat Gawat serves because the Head of Communication and Corporate Affairs at Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, the place she she excels in successfully speaking the company message, throughout growth conferences with stakeholders, traders, and host international locations. She is a valued member {of professional} organizations such because the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, the Institute of Strategic Management, Nigeria, and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade
Communications & Public Affairs Manager, West Africa, Google
With over 18 years of expertise in Public Relations and built-in communications, this seasoned skilled is at the moment on the helm of product communications, financial influence storytelling, misinformation prevention, and regional communication technique growth for Google’s Global Communications and Public Affairs in West Africa.
Taiwo Ogunwumi
Executive Director, Brooks + Blake
Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade is an completed PR and model communications knowledgeable, boasting over 20 years within the business. At the helm of Google’s Global Communications in West Africa, he champions financial influence storytelling, actively combats misinformation, and meticulously designs regional communication blueprints. His vital roles within the Innovate Africa Challenge and the Google News Innovation Challenge underscore his dedication to shaping the area’s media panorama and fostering innovation.
Temitope Oguntokun
Corporate Affairs and Legal Director, International Breweries Plc (AB InBev)
A enterprise chief with impactful expertise in Corporate/Public Affairs, Strategic Communications, Sustainability, and Management. With a demonstrated expertise of over twenty years spanning Nigeria, Africa and world contexts, she supplies built-in communications and sustainable growth companies for organizations and types in several industries and inside multinational and multicultural backgrounds.
Tomilayo Aluko
Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at CSCS.
Tomilayo is an skilled Brand Consultant with a demonstrated historical past of working within the Banking business. She is the Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing at Central Securities Clearing System. With her vital contributions and an elevated administration deal with PR and media, the corporate has achieved wonderful visibility previously yr.
Tomi Ogunlesi
Group Head, Brands, Communications & Corporate Responsibility, Interswitch Group.
Tomi Ogunlesi is a seasoned Marketing & Communications Director with a exceptional 14-year in depth cross-sectoral expertise in insight-driven advertising, communication, and enterprise growth. Tomi is a proud member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), and the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM). He is the Group Head, Brands, Communication & Corporate Responsbibility at Interswitch Group the place he’s main communication efforts on new merchandise.
Vanessa Amadi
Founder at VA|PR Publicity
She has executed PR campaigns for A-list stars like Usher, Ciara, Naomi Campbell, and Estelle. In addition, her occasions, music licensing, and leisure firm, VA-PR Management, at the moment symbolize Music stars, together with Tiwa Savage and Davido.
Victoria Uwadoka
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Nestle
Victoria Uwadoka is a seasoned Public Relations and Communications skilled with over twenty years of expertise. As Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager at Nestle, she focuses on strengthening Nestlé’s social influence by fostering relationships with stakeholders and communities and showcasing the corporate’s optimistic contributions. She additionally organized a profitable occasion throughout African Communications Week 2023, themed “Telling the Africa Story: The Communicators’ Responsibility,” in celebration of Africa Day.
Victor Oladokun
Senior Adviser to the President (Communication and Stakeholder Engagement), African Development Bank Group.
Victor Oladokun is a extremely completed media and communication skilled with in depth regional and world expertise in company communication, and PR. In his function as the previous Director of Communication and External Relations on the African Development Bank (AfDB), his vital contributions enhanced the financial institution’s world visibility and popularity and positioned the AfDB as a key participant in driving sustainable growth in Africa.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Adedoyin Jaiyesimi
Co-Founder, The Comms Avenue.
A communications and public coverage knowledgeable, she has efficiently executed initiatives for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Level One Financial Inclusion Project), and Specta by Sterling, amongst others. As Co-founder and Communications Advisor at The Comms Avenue, she works with a tremendous workforce to create capability constructing and networking alternatives for communication professionals.
Eniola Harrison
Director IE Africa Center & Co-Founder of Africa Communications Week
Eniola is enthusiastic about advancing balanced narratives about Africa and co-founder of Africa Communications Week, a world motion that convenes Africa-focused communication professionals to interact and influence Africa’s socio-economic transformation by strategic communication. She is a communication skilled with expertise managing public relations, digital and strategic communications for company organizations and establishments within the EU and Africa.
Peter Ukhurebor
MD, UWG New York & Founder, Black at Cannes.
With over 15 years in promoting as a unicorn, Peter Ukhurebor’s profession spans three continents working as a copywriter, artwork director, planner, model supervisor, and UX strategist. He can also be the Founder of Black at Cannes, a company that goals to create systematic change in promoting by growing the illustration of black folks at Cannes.
Tolulope Olorundero
Principal Consultant at Mosron Communications & Founder, Nigerian Women In PR
Tolulope is a flexible B2B public relations and strategic communications marketing consultant for multinational organisations and world executives. With exemplary abilities in crises administration, technique growth and digital communications garnered over 16+ years of enterprise expertise, she is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Mosron Communications, a boutique public relations consultancy in Lagos, Nigeria. She can also be the Founder and Chair of, Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Women in PR.
RISING VOICES
Blessing Abeng
Co-Founder & Director of Communications, Ingressive for Good.
Blessing Abeng is a branding and communications knowledgeable devoted to serving to manufacturers uncover their distinctive id and share compelling tales. With a deal with tech merchandise, development, and gross sales, she crafts communication methods that join with groups, goal audiences, companions, and traders. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient and a United Nations 100 Most Influential Person of African Descent Under 40 within the Philanthropy sector.
Enitan Kehinde
Lead Consultant and General Manager, BHM UK.
Enitan Kehinde is a communications and undertaking administration knowledgeable who has over time, been acknowledged as a high innovator in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; a world younger changemaker throughout Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East; in addition to one of many high 40 below 40 ladies in Marketing Communications from Nigeria. She gained the Rising PR Practitioner of the Year on the 2022 LAPRIGA Awards.
Nowe Isibor
PR & Communications Manager, Filmhouse Group
Nowe Isibor is the Public Relations and Communications Manager at Filmhouse Group, Nigeria’s largest cinema chain the place she drives impactful communications methods to raise model consciousness and popularity. She labored because the PR MVP behind Hilda Baci’s journey to breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by a person on the earth.
Oluwayemisi Ode
Integrated Marketing Communications & Public Relations Manager, Infinix Nigeria.
Yemisi is an completed Brands and Communications Specialist with over 7 years of progressive expertise in driving exceptional income development and enhancing company marketability for main business gamers. She is the present Integrated Marketing Communications & Public Relations Manager at Infinix Nigeria the place she directs strategic communications plans.
Yewande Akomolafe – Kalu
Head, Storytelling and Branding, Flutterwave
Yewande Akomolafe-Kalu is a Branding, Storytelling and Marketing specialist with over 5 years of expertise serving to manufacturers develop, develop, and market their companies and merchandise globally. She is the Head of Storytelling and Branding at Flutterwave the place she contributes to Flutterwave’s success in constructing a powerful and recognizable model presence within the fintech business.
MEDIA IMPACT
John Ajayi
Editor in Chief & Publisher, Marketing Edge Magazine
Veteran journalist and Publisher of Nigeria’s main advertising and promoting journal, Marketing Edge, John Ajayi is an skilled skilled with a demonstrated historical past of working within the advertising and promoting business. He directs the operations of Marketing Edge; a Nigerian-based advertising and promoting publication that gives insights, information, and evaluation on marketing-related subjects in Nigeria and past.
Joshua Ajayi
Publisher, Brand Communicator
Joshua Ajayi is the Chief Executive Officer at Awesome Communications and Publisher of Brand Communicator. In his function as Publisher, he has led the corporate to turn into the main advertising and promoting publication in Nigeria that focuses on offering information, insights, and evaluation on branding, advertising communications, and the promoting business in Nigeria and Africa as a complete.
https://guardian.ng/options/glg-pr-power-list-2023/
