By Adam Wakefield
Nigeria is consistently among Africa’s three largest economies and the amount of commercial activity taking place has increased significantly. As the local economy has become more sophisticated, so also has the need grown for highly specialised and professional communications organisations and personnel.
“Public relations in Nigeria, as in other parts of Africa, is rapidly evolving. In the last ten years, PR in Nigeria has grown exponentially. This has led to an unprecedented increase in the industry’s creative output that can compare with those in any part of the world,” says Irimagha-Akemu.
“Nigerian agencies have received international recognition, as well as international affiliations.This, in turn, has brought unprecedented positive exposure to these agencies to international best practice.”
Emphasising this point, Irimagha-Akemu points to the growing number of Nigerian marketing communications agencies appearing on winner’s lists at global festivals and awards such as the Cannes Lions Festival, which has made the industry “the most vibrant in Africa”.
A fait accompli of this vibrancy is the high level of competition among Nigerian firms for business in a space where there is “never a lull as brands are always calling for pitches from agencies”. Nigerian consumers are discerning and “enlightened”, and brand custodians know they have to be at their best all the time when engaging with the consumers.
In this, according to Irimagha-Akemu, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) play an inseparable role.
“The NIPR was established to build efficient and responsive structures to promote professionalism and excellence through high standard of practice by members, in line with its established Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct,” Irimagha-Akemu says.
PRCAN aggregates and articulates the interest of member agencies, streamlines and regulates agency activities, while the NIPR focuses on strengthening professionalism and expanding the theoretical frontiers within the industry.
If there is one mistake that must not be made about the Nigerian PR industry, a mistake often perpetrated on the entire continent, is the assumption of cultural and linguistic unanimity.
“The Nigerian population is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups with unique cultures and diverse religious leanings. Operating in a culturally diverse country like Nigeria is both exciting and challenging,” explains Irimagha-Akemu.
“Despite the seeming schism, Nigerians are bonded by several common national identities such as cuisine, leisure activities, entertainment, and sports.”
Forward-thinking PR professionals have been able to forge bridges across these divides by emphasising the ties that bind, and not those that divide. Irimagha-Akemu warns that any outside actor who runs a cookie cutter approach in Nigeria is destined for failure.
What Nigerian businesses seek from the PR professionals they hire is business solutions instead of “mere superficial and nicely packaged communications campaigns”. If an agency does not understand their business, Nigerian customers quickly move onto professionals who do.
“Basically, clients need their PR guys to be able to see themselves as not just PR, but an extension of their marketing team,” Irimagha-Akemu says.
Further tips for those looking to make an impact in Nigeria include maintaining a robust relationship with the media, and doing the same with regulatory bodies and government.
Like elsewhere around the world, the convergence of marketing and PR functions is taking place within Nigeria’s PR-ecosystem, and according to Irimagha-Akemu, awareness of convergence has never been as pronounced in Nigeria as it is today.
“Most PR consultants are taking one step at a time; testing the waters. However, clients still respect the specialisation when accounts are handled by PR and advertising agencies respectively,” she says.
“This has, however, led companies with interest in the various aspects of marketing communications to set up another agency to manage these aspects separately.”
Sesema PR itself has established an affiliate advertising and marketing company, Breach and Buckler, to handle these functions when they cross-pollinate with work being undertaken by Sesema.
“The closest brands have come to full convergence is carrying through with a uniform theme across all aspects of their marketing efforts,” Irimagha-Akemu explains.
“Maybe there will be a time when clients will trust marketing communication firms to efficiently execute all of their marketing initiatives, but that is still futuristic.”
Given the rate of change within the Nigeria PR space, perhaps “futuristic” is not so far in the future. If there is one certainty about change, it is that change is certain. The rest of the continent will be watching Nigeria with intrigue.