BHM has announced the appointment of two regional managers and lead advisers for its African expansion strategy through ID Africa, a leading pan-African communications services and advisory firm.
Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson, who currently leads ID Africa’s corporate communications segment in Nigeria, has been approved as the Regional Manager of the company’s West Africa practice. Njideka Akabogu who also leads the media, entertainment and creative segment has been approved to manage and grow ID Africa’s East Africa practice. Iretomiwa will steer operations via Lagos and Abuja (Nigeria) and Accra (Ghana), while Njideka will kick off operations in Nairobi Kenya – a first for the company in the region. Both executives have been acting in the role since October 2022.
Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson is a lawyer, Public Relations and Communications executive, author and creative. She started her communications career at BHM, one of Africa’s leading integrated communications services firms where she started as an Associate Consultant before she was promoted to the position of Consultant in 2019. In 2020, Iretomiwa became a Lead PR and Communications Adviser at ID Africa, where she spearheaded the development, communication, and implementation of effective growth strategies and processes in the business including new communications and PR models, and in areas like product thinking and advocacy.
She earned her Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Lagos and an LLB from the Nigerian Law School in 2015 before practising law. Iretomiwa has authored an essay on how trust and truth will play an integral role in government and business; and why communication will be key to making that happen. She is also the committee chair for the Africa PR and Communications Report.
Njideka Akabogu is a graduate of Information Science from Abia State University. She has over eight years of experience working in media and communications in different capacities as a content strategist, content creator, fashion editor and communications consultant.
She currently serves as a Lead PR and Communications Adviser at ID Africa. She has consulted for a variety of international brands including Showmax and DStv, ViacomCBS Networks Africa and its in-house brands – MTV Base, BET International, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central; as well as Betway, among others.
Prior to her role as Lead PR and Communications Adviser, Njideka was the Editor at the fashion and lifestyle platform, 234Star – a role which saw her grow the platform to become a recognized voice among industry players and fashion enthusiasts on social media, consequently earning her a spot on the New Establishment List in 2019, Brand Communicator’s 35 under 35 top Marketing professionals in Nigeria for 2022 and her nomination as a Rising PR Practitioner of The Year by NIPR in 2022.
Across Africa, Iretomiwa and Njideka will report to BHM Holdings Executive Director Femi Falodun who previously worked as CEO of ID Africa.
“This is a critical time in Africa’s history, and I’m excited to be a part of the narrative of claiming our identity, providing world-class communications strategies tailor-made to our realities and expanding ID Africa’s unique combination of industry insights, market knowledge and vast content creation studio, across West Africa,” says Iretomiwa.
Speaking about her new role, Njideka says she is excited to be taking on a market and challenge, and she’s looking forward to impacting the East African marketing communications industry.
“This announcement has been a long-time coming as we have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure this expansion to East Africa happens successfully. Beyond the immense work we know we have cut out for us, I’m very excited to take on a new region and all the endless possibilities that come with it.”
Ayeni Adekunle, BHM CEO, commented: “ID Africa’s continental growth, along with BHM’s allied and strategic operations in Europe and America, is part of our long-term vision to build Africa’s first global integrated communications network.”
Femi Falodun adds: “ID Africa is invested in providing best-in-class communications strategies for Africa’s businesses, companies and governments. We understand Africa and we are focused on gathering data and insights into the various markets that can enable us to provide the solutions that our clients need across the continent.”
Beyond providing corporate and brand communications services to some of the biggest brands in media, technology, financial services, nonprofit, and FMCG, ID Africa is also home to Netng, Neusroom, and 234Star, which are some of Nigeria’s most prominent digital media platforms focused on youth and popular culture. The company also organises the annual NECLive, Africa’s largest gathering of entertainment and creative industry professionals, which is also the longest-running conference of its kind in the region.