By Funsho Aina
Spent last Friday evening chilling at the Macallan Lounge in upscale Kaly restaurant, Victoria Island. I was one of the select guests at the 19th year anniversary celebration of Ayeni Adekunle’s BHM. Sponsored by Macallan, the premium single malt scotch whiskey brand, which I love so much.
Swirling all the different ‘Expressions – 12, 15, 18 and 25 years,’ (Double, Triple, Rare casks) in my glass, at different times of the night; I almost forgot the real reason I was there. For connoisseurs, and others with refined palates, who appreciate craftsmanship, they will know that every sip of a Macallan Expression tells a story. Characteristically smooth and complex, as one gently cradles the glass; ‘nosing’ it and sipping slowly as if you are savouring life itself, the sense of occasion is palpable. Exquisite! A choice beverage matured in sherry oaks hundreds of years old, a drink to luxuriate in while discussing important matters, which does not include Arsenal winning the EPL.
But I digress. So why are we here again? Yes, thank you, to celebrate Ayeni Adekunle, who goes by the moniker ‘ATG’ (Ayeni The Great). Now, here is a young man who likes to stamp his foot on the ground, and dares it to cave in. Indeed, Ayeni has come a long way, leaving Okokomaiko some 30 years ago, with a suitcase full of dreams, and on a passport stamped with only two things – prayers and hope. But I am sure not even he would have imagined how well things would turn out for him. Although, in between, there have been valleys and mountains; triumphs and many moments of doubt – the challenges were formidable, but they turned out to be classrooms that taught him life’s valuable lessons. He has savoured the good; stared down the ugly and smirked at the bad, but through it all, God has proven Himself in his life, time and time again as you will soon see.
Coming from a music promotion and entertainment journalism background, in 19 years, Ayeni has single-handedly changed the face of PR practice in Nigeria, through constant re-engineering and creativity. The hallmark of everything he does is innovation, and by never being afraid to fail. His attitude at any given time is: ‘Difficult work, I do immediately; the impossible? Just give me some time.’ His vision/mission is to ensure that BHM, and the PR industry in Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general, play a significant role in the global scheme of things. And he is achieving this through one radical initiative after the other.
The irony is, coming from a purely science background, with absolutely no mass communication training; yet grew to become a reference point in celebrity and art journalism; before now standing as a PR colossus. Such is Ayeni’s Midas touch, turning every endeavour to gold. A true visionary who long before AI became a buzzword, had seen the need to redefine PR through technology. Big on scientific and empirical pieces of evidence on PR efficacy and measurement, many years back, he launched the annual ‘Nigeria PR Report’ which has since expanded from chronicling just Nigeria to covering 29 countries across Africa. It is the only report of its kind, and it originated from Nigeria.
Ayeni founded the ‘World PR Day’ in 2020. The commemorative date is now being celebrated every year on the 16th of July around the world. In 19 years, BHM has grown from his very modest home in Akute, Ogun State, to international commercial hubs like London, New York, Accra and Nairobi. Arguably, it is one of the most successful public relations and communications consultancy in this part of the world by billing, by revenue, by thought leadership, and by client category. According to Ayeni himself: “We are now a top-five firm in Nigeria, and we are comfortably sitting at the top-10 across the continent.”
Handling MTN’s public relations and marketing communications account for close to ten years now, BHM has demonstrated exceptional professionalism, creativity, and strategic insight in delivering effective communication solutions for us. The team’s expertise spans advisory, communication strategy, messaging, media relations, content development, stakeholder engagement, and crisis management. Their work has consistently added value to our brand objectives and contributed to the overall success of our communication initiatives. We have found them to be reliable partners who approach every project with dedication and excellence. I believe it is the same story for other brands they work with too.
On this note, I raise my glass of Macallan to give a toast to ‘ATG,’ an industry titan; and BHM, a proudly Nigerian company, and an aspiring giant in Africa – the home of innovation and the future of the public relations and communications industry. This is wishing you many more years of definitive work, breaking boundaries, and multi-dollar accounts.
Aina is the Senior Manager External Relations of MTN