Nigerian Communications Executives Meet To Discuss the Future of Strategic Communications - THISDAYLIVE

Senior communications professionals, practitioners, academics, institution builders and founders gathered in Lagos on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, to discuss strategic communications in Nigeria, highlighting the need for clearer role definitions, stronger strategic recognition and improved compensation for practitioners.

The conversation, held under the theme “The Future of Strategic Communications in Nigeria,” explored the changing nature of the communications profession, the increasingly blurred boundaries between public relations, marketing communications and other specialist disciplines, and the implications of these shifts for practitioners and organisations.

The roundtable was convened by strategic communications consultant and Founder of Comms54, Rukevwe Dukuye-Nnachi, for practitioners to discuss where the profession stands today, how it has evolved and what its next chapter should look like.

Participants noted that communications spans public relations, corporate communications, marketing communications, public affairs, stakeholder engagement and digital communications. With the observation that universities are introducing the title strategic communications in curriculums too with a few Nigerian universities cited.

Participants emphasised the need for communications professionals to be recognised not simply as executors or support functions, but as strategic advisers who contribute to how organisations understand, build and manage relationships with their stakeholders and protect their reputation.

The discussion also highlighted the responsibility of practitioners to better articulate the value of their work, while advocating for greater professional recognition and appropriate compensation for the role communications increasingly plays across organisations, industries, institutions, nations and leaders.

“The profession has evolved considerably, but our understanding and articulation of what communications professionals actually do has not always evolved with it. This conversation was an opportunity to examine that gap honestly and collectively,” said Rukevwe Dukuye-Nnachi, Founder of Comms54.

Participants at the roundtable included Sola Abulu, Founder, SA&A Strategy and Communications Consulting and Training Firm; Tolulope Olorundero, Founder and Chair, PRFW, Dr. Beryl Ehondor, Lecturer and Researcher, Pan-Atlantic University; Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson, Regional Manager, West Africa, BHM; Victoria Uwadoka, Corporate Communications, Public Affairs & Sustainability Lead, Nestlé; Njideka Agbo, West African Director, IABC and Founder, Glann Media; and Adedoyin Jaiyesimi, Co-Founder, The Comms Avenue.

About Comms54Comms54 is a Lagos-based strategic communications firm founded by Rukevwe Dukuye-Nnachi. The firm works with organisations, institutions and leaders to build, protect and advance reputation through integrated communications strategy.

Comms54 is committed to contributing to the evolution of the communications profession and advancing the standard, practice and perception of strategic communications across Nigeria and the African continent.

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