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 ceremony themed ‘Shining Stars’, highlighted Airtel’s successful commitment to sustainability and employee engagement.

Airtel Nigeria emerged winner of the Environment and Sustainability PR Award category for its Baadun Lagos Beach Clean-Up activity, which mobilized employees to tackle environmental challenges and foster a cleaner, healthier ecosystem.

Additionally, Airtel was recognized for Excellence in Internal Communication and Employee Engagement, showcasing its dedication to cultivating an engaged, motivated, and purpose-driven workforce.

Speaking on the wins, Dinesh Balsingh, Airtel Nigeria CEO, emphasized the importance of sustainability to company.

“These awards are a testament to our core belief that businesses have a responsibility to drive positive change in society. The Baadun Beach Clean-Up is more than just an environmental effort. It is part of our Employee Volunteer Scheme (EVS) initiative, a programme that encourages Airtel employees to engage in community services and social impact initiatives.”

Femi Adeniran, Airtel Nigeria director, Corporate Communications & CSR, added,

“We inspired communities to take action for a sustainable future. In the same vein, our internal communication and employee engagement initiatives are equally focused on fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and outstanding customer service.”

The 2024 LaPRIGA Awards brought together Public Relations industry’s leading lights to celebrate innovation, strategic leadership, and measurable impact.

Airtel Nigeria’s double wins underscore its status as a transformative force in Nigeria’s PR sector, setting benchmarks in sustainability and organizational communication.

As Airtel Nigeria continues to make strides in sustainability and employee engagement, these accolades serve as a reminder of the power of its commitment to building goodwill in all the communities in which it operates.

Chain Reactions Africa emerged as winner of the ‘Public Sector PR Campaign of the Year’ for the firm’s Windfall Tax Policy Campaign for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The campaign was aimed at first, sensitising the Nigerian public about the Windfall Tax Policy and then, securing the compliance of key stakeholders for the policy.

The same campaign also clinched the ‘Best in Crisis Management’ award, off the back of its use of strategic communication to manage and avert the crisis that would have been precipitated by the enforcement of the Windfall Tax by the FIRS.

The highpoint of the day for the company was the crowning of Mr. Israel Jaiye Opayemi, the managing director and chief strategist, as the ‘Most Influential PR Professional’ for his exceptional professional persona, charismatic industry leadership, enviable profile, and commitment to the growth of the Public Relations industry.

Commenting on the LaPRIGA Awards recognitions, Mr. Opayemi, expressed appreciation for the honours. “Once again, I say a big thank you to the awards organisers, the Lagos State Chapter of NIPR, for raising the bar in organising this award to celebrate hard work and honour the resilience of deserving winners”, he said.

Opayemi charged the winners and all practitioners to drive better storytelling of their organisations and clients. “Let’s be the best. We are Public Relations people, let’s tell the stories of our respective organisations and clients better than ever before”.

He acknowledged the invaluable contributions of his team to Chain Reactions Africa’s unceasing accomplishments, describing them as the real shining stars of these honours. “These award recognitions are emphatically dedicated to all the creative rebels in the Chain Reactions Africa Tribe. You are truly the shining stars spurring these honours, and there wouldn’t be a Chain Reactions Africa without my team. Your unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and sacrifices are matchless; you are the reason we are not just winning, but also breaking more boundaries of excellence”, Opayemi said.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR Lagos Chapter), Comfort Obot Nwankwo, congratulated all the winners for their recognition as shining stars and urged them to be an inspiration to others while sustaining the momentum of success, character, and bravery.

“As we honour our shining stars tonight, let us reflect on our collective responsibilities and use our influence to advance inclusivity and sustainability in Public Relations. I challenge each of you to champion youth involvement, prioritise community breeding narratives and uphold highest standards of integrity in all that you do. I congratulate all nominees and winners tonight – may your success serve as an inspiration to others”, she said.

Themed, ‘The Shining Stars’, the 9th edition of LaPRIGA Awards expectedly turned out to be a resplendent and colourful get-together of the who-is-who in the integrated marketing communications industry with stakeholders drawn from the corporate, private, and public sectors.

According to the Chairman of the Selection Committee, Lead Consultant/CEO, Leap Communications, and Publisher of Breezy News, Muyiwa Akintunde, the ceremony had 22 award categories, and 81 entries were submitted in 21 categories, with the ‘Best in Political Communication’ not having any submission for this year’s edition. Others are ‘Special Honorary Awards’ and ‘Lifetime Achievements Award for select public relations industry veterans.

With three awards, Chain Reactions Africa has once again shown its unparalleled dominance in the marketing communications industry. Earlier in 2024, the company reached an unprecedented height by winning seven awards at the 2024 SABRE Awards. It also emerged winner of the Edge Awards 2024 most coveted prize, ‘Outstanding PR Agency of the Year’, with its MD/ Chief Strategist, Opayemi, carting away the ‘Edge Grand Prix in PR’, Edge Awards’ most enviable and highest individual awards category.

The company, with offices in both Lagos and Abuja, won four deserving honours at the 2024 Brandcom Awards, including the ‘Most Outstanding PR Agency of the Year’; ‘Most Outstanding Agency in Political and Public Sector PR’, and ‘Strategic Communication Consultancy of the Year’. Its MD/ Chief Strategist also won the ‘CEO of the Year (Public Relations) category for his sound leadership qualities and desirable profile.

LaPRIGA is a high-profile award that recognises excellence and celebrates practitioners in public and corporate organisations as well as stakeholders to boost professionalism and more investment in the practice of public relations.

The 8th Edition of the LaPRIGA Awards tagged, ‘The Game Changers’ organised by the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), had its podium of lights and colours welcoming the distinguished delegation of Chain Reactions Africa five times to receive five deserving awards at a colourful ceremony held on Thursday, 21st December 2023, at the MUSON Centre in Onikan, Lagos.

Chain Reactions Africa emerged as winner of the ‘PR Agency of the Year’ for the firm’s admirable professionalism, management of key accounts, employing global best practices and processes for a bouquet of communications campaigns, and most importantly, delivering some of the most exciting PR-led campaigns in the year under review.

The firm also scooped the ‘Best in Risk and Crisis Management’ category for effective use of Public Relations to manage crisis at the highest levels of the corporate sphere and public governance; just as its mastery of framing political campaigns where it came tops as ‘Best in Political Communication’ category for skillfully engineering consent and influencing political choices on behalf of clients which included the “Greater Lagos Rising Re-election Campaign” for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State in the last governorship elections.

Chain Reactions Africa further showed versatility and class by clinching the ‘Public Sector PR Campaign of the Year’ for the firm’s outstanding campaign to promote the launch of the Lagos Blue Line for the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA).

The highlight of the LaPRIGA awards night was the crowning of the Managing Director/Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Africa, Israel ‘Jaiye Opayemi, who doubles as the President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), as the ‘PR Practitioner of the Year’ for his enviable leadership of a dynamic organization with impeccable profile and quality.

Over the years, Opayemi has consistently pushed the limits of what is possible in the industry through grit, passion, professionalism, and a consistent industry clarion call to practitioners to consistently raise the bar of excellence in public relations practice to gain the respect of clients.

The ceremony had twenty award categories with Chain Reactions Africa unilaterally leading this year’s collection with five. Others are ‘Special Honorary Awards’ and ‘Lifetime Achievements Award’ bestowed on individuals and institutions who have distinguished themselves through their contributions and support to the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Commenting on the LaPRIGA Awards recognitions, ‘Jaiye Opayemi, the MD/Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Africa, Israel noted the importance of these honours to the firm as a brand, on the industry, and the nation.

“The award recognitions are evidence of our hard work, commitment and discipline to the Public Relations and Integrated Marketing profession where do a brave brand of consulting.

“The greatest honour any professional can receive is the honour bestowed by your own peers. It is a true reflection of where and how you stand in the fierce game.

“As a consulting firm, Chain Reactions Africa is sincerely grateful to the leaders and members of Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the LaPRIGA Awards Committee and all stakeholders in the Public Relations and Integrated Marketing Communications space who recognize the brave works we are doing for our clients. To all winners, I congratulate you, and to all nominees, being nominated is evidence of the fact that the great works you are doing got onto the measuring scale in the first place. I celebrate you and I am proud to be in your community”, Mr. Opayemi said.

“Being audaciously strategic is at the heart of all we do. It is etched in our DNA. We love those clients who allow us the space to do extraordinary works and give expressions to our brave thinking to be different in managing their brands. These awards are for you.

“To my amazing tribe of creative rebels at Chain Reactions Africa, these awards are the gratifications your souls need for all your hard work and sleepless nights. These awards are however the reminders that we need to be relentless and do more”, Opayemi added.

The LaPRIGA is a prestigious high-profile award that recognises excellence and celebrates practitioners in public relations practice in Nigeria.

LaPRIGA has evolved into what public relations practitioners fondly refer to as ‘the Oscars of the Public Relations Industry in Nigeria’, adding new colours, dimensions and values by recognising best accomplishments in public relations and reputation management in Nigeria.

With these awards, Chain Reactions Africa has demonstrated admirable industry dominance. Earlier in the year, in far away Lusaka, Zambia, Chain Reactions also scooped the SABRE Africa Award’s ‘Corporate Image Certificate of Excellence’ recognition for its ‘Momentum Campaign’, a campaign executed for Cellulant, a flagship payment solution company in multiple markets across Africa.

Same recognition was earned by Chain Reactions Africa for its contributions to the ‘The NaijaHighlandah Challenge #TNH’ by William Lawson’s, a Scotch Whiskey brand, in the ‘Marketing to Consumers’ session.

Chain Reactions Africa also earned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State the ‘CEO of the Year’ in the SABRE Africa Diamond Category for his use of the tools of public relations in his 2023 re-election campaign.

This category is for Corporate or Political CEOs who allow the use of public relations in communicating their works.

In September 2023, Chain Reactions Africa also emerged as the Outstanding PR Agency of the Year and its MD/Chief Strategist, Israel Jaiye Opayemi won the Outstanding Leadership Award in Public Relations at the 2023 edition of the prestigious Marketing Edge Brands and Advertising Excellence Awards held in Lagos.

Recently, the firm again won BrandCom’s ‘Award for ‘Most Outstanding Agency in Political and Public Sector PR’ while its MD/ CEO won the award for the ‘Most Outstanding CEO of Year – Public Relations’.

The event which took place on Friday, December 2, 2022, at D’Podium Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos, recognised over 20 honourees from public relations consultancies, public and private sector practitioners, stakeholders, and the media in various categories.

According to the organisers, MTN received the best brand in storytelling award for its group-wide ‘What Are We Doing Today’ rebrand campaign for its excellent deployment of editorial content, and partnerships with content creators and influencers to drive conversations that reached over 22 million people and delivered outstanding outputs and outcomes for the telecommunications firm.

Funso Aina, Senior Manager, External Relations, MTN Nigeria, who received NIPR’s Best in Crisis Management award last year, was also recognised as the Most Influential PR Professional for the year 2022 by the Lagos state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

MTN’s PR partner, BHM received four awards at  LaPRIGA’s 2022  awards ceremony: Best Supporter of PR, Agency of the Year, Rising PR Practitioner of the Year and PR Practitioner of the Year.

The awards were accorded in recognition of BHMs’ contributions towards scaling the growth and development of the industry by providing innovative solutions to further propel Africa for a more globalised approach to the practice of the public relations profession.

These awards are coming off the heels of MTN Nigeria and its consultancy’s 2022 Africa SABRE Awards for superior achievements in measurement and evaluation and stakeholder engagement for its public offer of ordinary shares to retail investors in December 2021.

The two projects, helmed by BHM, represented a period of improved government relations and financial growth for the company.

Commonly known as the Communications Industry Oscars, The LaPRIGA Awards is a prestigious high-profile event showcasing and recognizing excellence in public relations practice in the public and private sectors.