Leading African agency and CIPR corporate affiliate, BHM, announces UK operations
BlackHouse Media (BHM), an independent Nigerian public relations and communications company and a corporate affiliate member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, has today announced the launch of its UK operations, BHM Qomms.
It is the first time a Nigerian public relations agency will open internationally.
Founder and CEO Ayeni Adekunle, a former journalist who has bootstrapped the company since 2006 says there are bilateral opportunities between the United Kingdom and Africa that BHM will help organisations understand and explore.
Ayeni will serve as CEO and principal consultant. Stephen Waddington of Wadds Inc., a former European Digital and Social Media Director of Ketchum Public Relations, and past CIPR president has been appointed as adviser and non-executive director. Other key people include Moliehi Molekoa of Magna Carta who has been appointed as non-executive director; as well as Femi Falodun who is Chief Executive Officer of ID Africa.
Our dream is to give the world its first truly global agency from Africa, and the launch of our operations in the UK, today, marks an important step in that journey. The opportunities are remarkable. The UK-Africa investment summit says 8 of the 15 fastest-growing economies are expected to be in Africa, and by 2050 over 1 in 4 global consumers will be African. If we match that with the fact that UK-Africa trade increased 7.5% to £36 billion in 2019, and the African Continental Free Trade Area will create the world’s largest free-trade bloc, connecting over one billion people in 55 countries with a combined GDP of almost £3 trillion.
It is great to celebrate the successes of our Corporate Affiliate members and I'm delighted to wish Ayeni and the team at BHM the best of luck with this exciting move. As we emerge from the pandemic and consider our post-Brexit world, this is a welcome demonstration of confidence in the UK public relations profession.
As a Corporate Affiliate member of the CIPR, BHM have shown their commitment to ethical practice and continuous professional development and I know the CIPR community here in the UK will welcome them warmly and offer our support where we can.
BHM’s current client roll includes MTN Nigeria Communications PLC, Nigerian Breweries PLC, Reckitt Benckiser, MultiChoice DSTV, The Coca-Cola Company, and others. The company has produced the annual Nigeria PR Report, since 2015, a year after it introduced a public relations app.
BHM will operate from London, and Edinburgh, where the company is building technology that will serve the public relations and communications ecosystem.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with nearly 10,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).