Themed “The Shining Stars,” the event celebrated excellence in PR and communications, with CMC CONNECT LLP taking home two of the night’s most prestigious honours: PR Agency of the Year and Model Agency of All Time, wining these for the umpteenth time.

The celebration comes as the agency marks a remarkable year of growth, securing several high-profile clients, including British Council Nigeria, IHS Towers Nigeria, Digital Jewels Africa, ipNX, and IPRFZ, among others—solidifying its position as a trusted partner for impactful, data-driven campaigns.

These new wins bring the firm’s total client portfolio for the year to a record-breaking number, reflecting its unwavering commitment to excellence, creativity, and measurable results.

Delivering the keynote address, Mrs. Comfort Obot Nwankwo, chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), highlighted the transformative power of public relations. “Public Relations is not just a profession; it is a force for good,” she said, emphasizing PR’s role in advancing ethics, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Reflecting on the awards, the Lead Partner of the firm, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya said, “These accolades affirm our commitment to excellence, creativity, and innovation. At CMC Connect, we are passionate about crafting impactful narratives, and we are proud to collaborate with clients like Airtel Nigeria, IHS Nigeria, British Council among others to deliver campaigns that resonate and inspire.”

The agency’s client, Airtel Nigeria, also emerged victorious, winning, Environment and Sustainability PR Award for the Baadun Beach Clean-Up Campaign and Excellence in Internal Communication and Employee Engagement.

The Chairman of the LaPRIGA Selection Panel, Mr. Muyiwa Akintunde, lauded the rigor of the evaluation process, which assessed 81 entries across 21 categories, with nominees demonstrating exceptional creativity, strategy, and measurable impact.

The award ceremony also saw wins from other individuals and organisations including, Rector Cares Limited, clinching Best in Corporate Social Responsibility, Ifeoluwa Ariyo-Agbaje as Best in Technology Public Relations, Indigo Integrated Ltd as Best Brand in Storytelling, amongst others.

CMC CONNECT stellar year highlights its ability to stay ahead of industry trends while maintaining a sharp focus on social relevance and strategic impact. These accolades not only elevate the firm but also underscore the strides being made across Nigeria’s PR landscape in fostering global best practices.

As the 2024, LaPRIGA Awards concluded, CMC CONNECT stood tall as a beacon of innovation and excellence, inspiring PR professionals across Africa. The agency’s accolades serve as a testament to the power of creativity, professionalism, and vision in transforming narratives and driving societal impact.

The award, tagged ‘2023 PR Power List Icon Award’, celebrates his exceptional contributions and accomplishments in the field of Public Relations.

This year’s PR Power List was themed “Global Insights: Harnessing the Power of Public Relations.” The award ceremony, which took place on 16^th July, was organized by a collaborative initiative of GLG Communications and The Guardian Nigeria in commemoration of World PR Day.

The PR Power List recognised and commended 50 outstanding PR and communications practitioners worldwide. Since its inception in 2022, the list has become a significant platform that honors and highlights the achievements of professionals who have significantly shaped the PR and communications industry.

Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, in his role as the Lead Partner of CMC Connect LLP, has consistently demonstrated remarkable leadership in the field of Public Relations. His innovative approach to PR, driven by his four-fold vision of creativity, curiosity, imagination, and storytelling, has significantly elevated his standing in the industry.

Speaking on the award, Mr. Okusanya expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the organisers and delivered words of encouragement to aspiring PR professionals.

“With great pleasure, I receive this warm recognition and I commend the organisers for this great opportunity. To anyone who aspires to be at the top, with vision, strong determination, focus, and hard work, you can be on this stage. Choose to be that person and refuse to settle for average results or mediocrity,” he said.

The organisers emphasized that YBO’s recognition is a proof of his remarkable contributions to the Public Relations industry, stating that he has not only contributed to the industry but has also established solid foundations for his peers, ultimately reshaping the PR landscape in Nigeria and Africa at large.

It was also noted that he is a PR icon with over 30 years of experience with an immense impact that can be seen through his pioneering efforts.

You will recall that his dedication to excellence was also recognised when he was honoured with the esteemed Global Icon Award at the 33rd Annual Conference of African Public Relations held in Tanzania, in 2022.

As a visionary leader, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya’s achievements not only inspire his peers but also motivate aspiring PR professionals to strive for greatness. He continues to be a driving force in the Public Relations landscape, innovating new ideas, and shaping the future of the industry.

Transiting from a Limited Liability Company to Limited Liability Partnership, CMC Connect LLP, under Yomi Badejo-Okusanya’s leadership over the years, has emerged as the biggest, most diversified, and most capacity-infused Public Relations and Strategic Communications firm.

Public Affairs experts and economists have warned the incoming government about policy loopholes that can derail the administration.

They identified critical areas that have presently put Nigeria in bad shape which should be of major concern to the Bola Tinubu Administration.

These pit holes the Public Affairs experts warned about include;

Risk-unconscious over-dependence on hydrocarbons – oil accounted for 90.5% of merchandise trade in 2022; Poor policy coordination – Expansionary fiscal operations, driven by massive borrowings vis-à-vis contractionary monetary policy; Fiscal inefficiency and revenue leakages – recourse to borrowing (it is relatively easy) and doing so inefficiently (largely through CBN), largely funding recurrent expenditure; Counterproductive fiscal policies– Fiscal Policy Reform (FPR) weakening manufacturing activities and new investments; Misplaced priorities – Deepening brown economy and disregarding sub-national comparative advantage, and discourages productivity and weak social compact.

These were part of submissions by Public Affairs experts at the 3rd National Policy Dialogue webinar organized by the Public Affairs Service of CMC Connect LLP, Perception Consulting, which took place on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

The Webinar themed ‘Setting a Fiscal Policy Agenda for The Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration’, aimed to foster a national discourse on the fiscal policy direction of the incoming government especially in the areas of regulations, taxation, excise duties and other policies that are making the ecosystem unfriendly for business growth.

Dr. Abiodun Adedipe, the keynote Speaker; a distinguished economist renowned for his expertise in fiscal policy, banking, finance, and public sector consulting, stated that “The fiscal inefficiency, revenue leakages, misplaced priorities, risk-unconscious over-dependence on hydrocarbons, poor policy coordination, and counterproductive fiscal policies are the major reasons Nigeria is in a bad shape.

“However, I believe this discourse will serve as a platform to tell the incoming government the need to engage the private sector deeply in formulating and reshaping economic policies that will make Nigeria and the productive sectors bounce back, thereby promoting a better Nigeria,” he said

Furthermore, he said “what we are selling to Tinubu`s administration is to set an agenda for ourselves, to be the top 10 economy in ten years’ time”.

Dr. Adedipe eloquently elaborated on strategic directions for Bola Tinubu Government. He said, in the immediate, the incoming government should match non-oil revenue to recurrent spending, aggressively promote exports to the world market starting with African countries; strengthen domestic manufacturing, interrogating the nexus between import and export tariffs.

Elaborating further, the policy expert and Chief Consultant at B. Adedipe Associates, recommended that the Tinubu government should ensure actionable, consistent and coherent fiscal, trade and monetary policies by promoting high level actions on policy coordination and ownership, unified voice on policy pronouncement, setting the right tone at the top, revamp reform on Ease of Doing Business, evaluate policies based on deliverables.

He espoused that the government must expand non-oil fiscal space, push for tax/GDP ratio of 15% and above, and align fiscal, monetary and trade policies.

The dialogue had a panel of discussants drawn from different sectors of the economy. They include Mr Tilewa Adebajo, Chief Executive Officer of CFG Advisory; Mr. Vivian Ikem, Corporate Affairs and Communications Director at Japan Tobacco International; Mrs. Sade Morgan, Corporate Affairs Director at Nigerian Breweries Plc, ably represented by Mr. Uzo Odenigbo, Head of Public, External and Government Affairs, Nigerian Breweries Plc.

In his own submission, the Corporate Affairs and Communications Director at Japan Tobacco International, JTI, Mr. Vivian Ikem, who was a panelist, spoke about issues on policy consistency, stating that inconsistency in the government policies can affect the drive of foreign direct investments.

He urged the incoming government to ensure consistency of policies. He emphasized that the incoming government should ensure tight control of illicit market and stop adulterated products from grey markets being dumped into the country. Nigeria, in its present state he said, is a difficult place to do business. The incoming government should endeavor to reform the current fiscal policy and the civil service.

Other panelists Uzo Odenigbo and Tilewa Adebajo both submitted that the economy under the Tinubu administration should be data driven. Data is key in comparative fiscal analysis with other markets, and in policy formulations. Adebajo advised that the incoming government should be people centric in its policy formulations. Oil subsidy, he stated should not be removed at once. It has to be a gradual removal while refineries are being brought to optimal performance.

The former Ogun State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, and presently the Board Chairman of Odua Group Otunba Bimbo Ashiru, advised the incoming president to be very altruistic in his appointments into key positions that are germane to the success or otherwise of his administration.

The former banker wants Mr Bola Tinubu to follow in the footsteps of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration, by appointing Nigerians with capacity to run the economy irrespective of tribe, religion and party affiliation.

He emphasized that the incoming administration should also prioritize agricultural transformation being the largest employer of labour and contributor to the gross domestic product of the economy.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the moderator Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, founder and Lead Partner at CMC Connect LLP, stated that “to achieve optimal growth and broadly shared prosperity, monetary policy must compliment physical goals”. Badejo-Okusanya enumerated key areas of failure of the Buhari administration, bringing out baseline facts and data on macroeconomic indicators from where Nigeria was in 2015 and where the nation is presently.

In his closing remarks, Adetola Odusote, Partner, and Head of Public Affairs Service at CMC Connect LLP, assured that “In our quest to make business thrive, government thrive and our nation to thrive, we at CMC Connect LLP shall continue with our National Policy Dialogue Series, a convergent platform for public affairs experts to champion policy direction for the government.

“We have had policy Dialogue on Education and we brought the then Hon Minister of State for Education Mr Chukwumenka Nwajiuba, while the Hon Minister for Communication and Digital Economy Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami was our guest speaker when we held policy dialogue on Digital Economy and Fintech industry”.

Odusote revealed that key insights and submissions gathered from the dialogue series will be made available to the incoming government.

Our objective is to contribute to shaping a more prosperous and sustainable economic landscape for Nigeria. Our specialised services cover, Stakeholders Engagement, Government Relations, Lobbying, Advocacy & Issues Management, Strategic Communication, Crisis Management, Policy Research and Analysis”.

– Odusote

CMC Connect LLP is a strategic communications firm headquartered in Lagos, and liaison office in Abuja, Nigeria.

The firm offers Public Relations, Reputation Risk Management, Publicity and Media Management, Financial Communications, Capacity Building, and ancillary marketing services to several companies including telecommunication giant, Airtel Nigeria.

CMC Connect LLP was also recently awarded the ‘Best Place to Work’ at the Lagos State PR Industry Awards.

CMC Connect LLP, one of Africa’s leading perception management and public affairs consulting firms, is set to host public and regulatory affairs practitioners in the private and public sectors to a national discourse in the area of fiscal policy direction for the incoming government.

The program is billed for Thursday May 11, 2023 via an online webinar platform between 10:00am and 12:00 noon. Theme: “Setting a Fiscal Policy Agenda for the Bola Tinubu Administration”.

Keynote Speaker is Dr Abiodun Adedipe, a distinguished economist with expertise in fiscal policy, banking, finance, and public sector consulting.

The program will be moderated by Mr Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, founder and Lead Partner at CMC Connect LLP.

The dialogue will have a panel of discussants drawn from different sectors of the economy. They include Mr Tilewa Adebajo, Chief Executive Officer at The CFG Advisory; Mr Vivian Ikem, Corporate Affairs and Communications Director at Japan Tobacco International, among others.

The discourse is designed as a convergent platform for private sector players in public and Regulatory affairs to make case for their business interest on key issues around fiscal policies and regulatory challenges in Nigeria.

Speaking on the policy dialogue session, Adetola Odusote, Partner, Public Affairs at CMC Connect LLP, explained that “as Nigerians await the swearing of the President Elect, many businesses are anticipating with bated breath, the direction of the new administration’s fiscal policy. The last eight years have been very challenging for most Nigerian businesses and the hope is that the new administration will institute significant pro-business policy reforms that will re-inflate the economy,

“CMC Connect‘ 3rd National Policy Dialogue, a non-political, non-partisan, pro-business platform, will bring together key stakeholders with the objective of aggregating views and making very incisive recommendations on how best the next government can move the Nigerian economy forward”, Odusote stated.

The foremost strategic communication and public affairs firm gathered clients, media, former and present board members as well as well-wishers to its GRA Ikeja office to relive its 30 years of sustainable progress.

The event was flagged off with a media conference that had cross section of the Nigerian media.

Others in attendance were its pioneer board members, investors, management and staff of the company.

Addressing the media, Mr Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, the founder and Group Managing Director of the company, took the guest through the historic trajectory and the many phases and hurdles the firm have had to cross the past three decades.

Themed ‘We are still flying’, Badejo-Okusanya expressed gratitude to God, his wife, staff and to those that have supported his dream from inception. He identified some iconic personalities whom he described as his mentors and who invested in his dreams right from 1997. These individuals include: Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor; Chairman of STB McCain; Mr Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman of Troyka Groups; Mr Billy Lawson, founder LTC Advertising.

Badejo-Okusanya who has been two term President, African Public Relations Association (APRA), giving the historical background of CMC Connect, noted that the dream was birth in a 3-bedroom flat around Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos in the early 1990s.

“It all started with a dream in a 3-bedroom flat off Toyin Street, Ikeja in the in 1992”.  His dream was to build a public relations practice that will offer incisive solutions-driven services to a growing clientele in the then-emerging Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) sector.

“And barely five years into our existence, Capital Marketing Communication (CMC) had to make a hard-strategic decisions when the opportunity came to be a part of the Lawson Thomas and Colleagues (LTC) Group which held the J. Walter Thompson affiliation in Nigeria at the time.”

According to Badejo-Okusanya who is popularly known across Africa as YBO, while many advised against this move, he saw a great opportunity to be mentored by one of the firsts in Nigeria’s fast growing marketing communication industry. Not just that, LTC had such an enviable global partnership with JWT.

“It was indeed a great period of mentoring, management, development, accountability and corporate governance.

“This worked so well that the local affiliate of McCain Erikson, STB McCain also bought into the business, further diluting the initial ownership.”

Following the partnership, the firm which was known at that time as Capital Marketing Communication (CMC) was renamed CMC Connect to reflect the capital investment of STB McCain; a relationship that lasted till the year 2014 when they parted ways amicably.

 Further speaking, the GMD also commended some friends who he admitted, he owes a debt of gratitude. Some of these friends, he noted invested in the CMC dream.

“Our firm owes a debt of appreciation to the leaders of the various businesses who believed enough to invest in our dreams. I will like to mention the likes of Mr. Billy Kolawole Lawson, Mr. Babatunde Dabiri, Mrs. Bola Thomas, Mr. Victor Edegbe, Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor, and of course my indefatigable friend and brother, Mr. Rufai Gbolagade Ladipo.

“Let me use this opportunity to acknowledge our current chairman Mr. Akinmolu Opeodu and another Director, Mr. Olaolu Akinkugbe.

“I also extend our gratitude and appreciation to every single person who at one time or the other agreed to serve on our board,” he added.

Following the end of the partnership with LTC and STB, the business transformed into a group giving birth to subsidiaries, namely: CMC Connect BCW, Reignite Public Affairs Limited, i-Octane Digital Interactive, and Tangalo Africa (an agro-focused media company).

Prior to that, the firm had entered into a relationship with Arcay Network of South Africa which ultimately culminated in our flagship business becoming affiliated with BCW, the third-largest global network.

“Our affiliation with BCW whose history can be traced to the icon of modern public relations, Mr. Harold Burson, has been largely rewarding, especially in the areas of business reference and capacity building”.

The past thirty years have seen CMC Connect Limited serving clients across diverse sectors of the economy. They include: Peugeot Nigeria, British American Tobacco, Virgin Atlantic, Shell Nigeria, Microsoft, Intels, HP, Unity Bank, Airtel, Lagos State Government, Ogun State Government, Delta State Government, Pfizer, Japaness Tobacco International (JTI), Afton Chemicals, CNN, Warner Brothers, FMTX, Copterjet, Jagal Group, Teju Group, Chief Mrs. Opral Benson, President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, Chief Harry Ayoade Akande, ICAN, NCC, LCCI, NBL Plc, Diageo, Coca Cola,  and a host of others.

Speaking on how the firm has impacted people over the years, Badejo-Okusanya affirmed that CMC Connect (Perception Managers) has had the privilege of shaping so many destinies, with many outstanding alumni scattered across various endeavors, and serving as leaders across the globe.

Further speaking on the company’s economic impact, he reiterated that the company will continue to serve as a responsible corporate citizen contributing its own quota to the economy.

“CMC Connect Limited will continue to serve as a responsible corporate citizen contributing its own quota to its community through employment, capacity building, professional development, and community relations. To this end, the firm will continue to provide placements for undergraduates as a way of mentoring them.”

“We have also contributed significantly to the progress of the industry and the profession, thereby playing leading roles in the growth and development of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), and at the continental level, the African Public Relations Association (APRA) and even the Global Alliance for Public Relations.”

Speaking on the challenges facing the industry, he said there are several challenges occasioned by a lack of proper understanding of what Public Relations service entails.

“The service we offer is intangible, and many of our stakeholders especially clients and the government are still not very clear about the value public relations ’brings to the table’. 

“As a result of this lack of understanding, public relations is yet to take its rightful place among the comity of professions. It has not been accorded the right status and certainly not the right value,” he noted.

On what the future holds for CMC Connect, Badejo-Okusanya affirmed that “In line with our belief in building an institution rather than a company, CMC Connect (Perception Managers) is poised to take on the future boldly.

“While our competitive edge remains strong consumer insight coupled with creative but impactful solutions, we are reviewing our offerings to be fully in line with contemporary challenges with engaging technology as an enabler to deliver our objectives.

“We are radically interrogating and innovating our processes to deliver much better results through our bouquet of services viz: Corporate Communications, Reputation and Brand Management, Crisis Management, Media Strategy & Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Political Communications, Government Relations, Issues Management & Advocacy.

While speaking on succession plans, the GMD said, “Having realized that there can never be ‘success without succession’, CMC Connect Limited has decided to transmute from a limited liability company to a Limited by Partnership organisation.

“This arrangement will see a significant portion of the firm’s shareholding being conceded to the partnership, which in turn brings about shared earnings. It is believed that the new entity to be known as CMC Connect LLP will boost ownership, continuity, and definitely succession planning.

“Even though the future looks challenging, we are emboldened by the fact that as an organization through the years, we keep re-inventing ourselves, showing adaptability that guarantees business continuity,” the GMD concluded.

While unveiling the 30th Anniversary Flag, the Board Chairman of the organization, Mr Akinmolu Opeodu, commended the GMD for telling a compelling story of the past 30 years.

In his words, “We thank God, 30 years in business is a very long time because as they say many businesses don’t go beyond the first five years.

“30 years is certainly a lot to be thankful for and I think Yomi has done a good job in telling the background story of how we got to where we are. We appreciate those that were instrumental to the success of the company thus far,” he concluded.

To kick-off the 30 years anniversary celebration, the organization hosted invited guests to a live mega screen viewing of the Liverpool versus Real Madrid UEFA Champions League final match. The company gave out lot of goodies to all their invited guests including football lovers at the sponsored UEFA Final public viewing.

It was a night of pomp and pageantry as guests were treated to good music, food, drinks and souvenirs bearing the 30th Anniversary logo.

The event was sponsored by Airtel Nigeria, supported by Leadway Assurance, Nigerian Breweries Plc, and Tolaram Group. The football final event was held in an exciting football-themed ambience, where guests were able to network and relax while decked in jerseys of their favourite football clubs.