Winning with Strategic Communications, is a veritable playbook for navigating today’s complex world of leadership, communication, and influence.

It is an important book for communications leaders of all ages. In this book, Godfrey distils years of lived experience, professional insights, and lessons from the frontline of Public Relations into clear, actionable strategies.

At its heart, this work seeks to bridge the often-wide gap between theory and practice. While academia provides the frameworks, Winning with Strategic Communications reveals how those frameworks come alive in the real world. With practical guidance, compelling examples, and a strong grounding in strategic communications, it offers readers a toolkit to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact. Within these pages, budding leaders, communication professionals, and entrepreneurs will each discover insights to guide their journey.

This is not just a book to be read; it is a manual to be applied. It challenges assumptions, sharpens leadership instincts, and equips the next generation of leaders to win, not by chance, but with strategy.

Winning with Strategic Communications is a roadmap to the top!

Godfrey Adejumoh is a seasoned top-performing Global Business Communications Strategist and Thought Leader. He has extensive experience in Public Relations, strategic corporate communications, policy advocacy, campaign planning/implementation, public affairs/government relations, sustainability/ESG, and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

With over 15 years experience, he has contributed to the reputation management of different multinationals (Diageo, Unilever, MTN, DHL, Accenture, LG and more) across sectors. He has evolved into a trusted advisor to C-Suite Executives, board members and a rounded business leader, through his career journey that started in Public Relations consultancies.

He is a public speaker leading the discourse on how strategic business communications play a vital role in crafting winning business strategies, contributing to growing and sustaining high performance for businesses.

His public speaking and mentorship cut across various reputable platforms – O2 Academy Lagos, Orange Academy Lagos, Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan Atlantic University, Nile University, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Osun State, University, Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ), among others.

Godfrey has a keen interest in developing the next generation of business leaders through strategic business communications to contribute to high performance for businesses and developing strategies to help reposition companies to maintain growth within a sustainable development framework.

Themed “Unlocking Africa’s Finance Story,” the Africa Credit Expo 2025, which took place at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, was organised by CreditRegistry with Afreximbank as founding sponsor. 

The one-day forum drew government officials, international development banks, fintech founders, credit bureaus and SMEs from across the continent. It combined policy announcements, new partnerships and practical showcases aimed at expanding credit access while protecting consumers.

Three clear priorities

Reiterating that practicality has become indispensable in the finance space, speakers emphasised a short list of priorities that should guide immediate action. These include:

• Build verifiable financial identity and integrate alternative data so lenders can underwrite millions without collateral. 
• Pair access with education; financial literacy must scale if credit is to be used responsibly. 
• Make cross-border infrastructure real: interoperable IDs, payment rails and trade platforms that recognise credit records across countries. 

“We want to empower people to own the pond, because that way they’ll feed their generations,” Dr Jameelah Sharrieff-Ayedun, MD/CEO, CreditRegistry, said as she laid out ACE’s consumer education and ‘Black Friday on Credit’ initiatives aimed at rewarding disciplined borrowers.

Mastercard’s West Africa Chief, Dr Folashade Femi Lawal, spelt out the scale Mastercard is targeting and the firm’s partnership role: “We empower economies. We power businesses. We empower the people to the last mile, and we build sustainable economy where every player in the value chain, where they prosper.” 

Representing the Central Bank of Nigeria, Fidelis Odia urged collaboration and stressed the regulator’s priorities: “Access to credit is not merely a financial transaction, it is a catalyst that empowers entrepreneurs fortified small and medium enterprises, first in essential job creation, accessory for the long term viability and resilience of our economy.”

Tunde Lemo of the CBN struck a note on self-reliance: “We shouldn’t look in the west or in the northern hemisphere for this to happen, because capital and all the opportunities are here in Africa,”  he said, highlighting that the continent’s capital and demand exist if systems are fixed.

Afreximbank’s MANSA initiative, represented by Mrs Maureen Mba, made the case that trade finance and digital identity are two halves of the same story: build trade rails and you create markets that justify credit at scale. “Africa’s greatest contact resource is not its minerals, it is the entrepreneurial potential.”

Announcements and partnerships

CreditRegistry leveraged ACE 2025 to convert several policy conversations into formal commitments. The event included the signing of two memoranda of understanding: one with Afreximbank’s MANSA Digital Initiative and another with the University of Lagos, agreements intended to drive SME verification, export readiness and consumer education at scale.

Secretary to the State Government, Barr. ‘Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin representing Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, revealed directives to support microfinance institutions and local credit initiatives that can be scaled nationally, the kind of sub-national experimentation speakers said will matter.

Keynote takeaways from investors and practitioners

Kyari Abba Bukar, co-founder of Trans Sahara Investment Corporation, and other keynote speakers explained that Africa’s entrepreneurial energy is abundant but credit systems lack the trust signals lenders need.

Their prescription focused on three levers, data, guarantees and product design, to crowd private capital into SMEs and women-led businesses.

They emphasised that innovation is not only technological. It must include new ways of assessing risk (open banking, alternative data), credit guarantee instruments to absorb first losses and skills training so borrowers can use finance productively.

Highlights from Panel session

At Africa Credit Expo 2025, the panel, moderated by Ogbo Awoke Ogbo, focused on smart credit reporting and the practical use of credit scores (CreditRegistry’s “SmartScore”) by lenders and fintechs. 

Key practical points included:

• CreditRegistry’s SmartScore range and what the bands mean for access and pricing (100–999 scale; higher bands enable negotiation of interest rates). 
• The power and limits of alternative data (telco records, digital footprints) used by digital lenders to onboard customers without prior formal credit history. 
• Lenders must combine scores with affordability analysis, a high score is not a sole green light; product design must reflect capacity to repay. 
• Need for consumer education so people understand what affects their score (loan enquiries, repayment behaviour) and how to improve it. 
• Cybersecurity and data integrity were flagged as prerequisites: more data without protection is a risk, not an asset. 

Africa Credit Expo 2025 showed growth in the sector, with public officials, development banks and private players switching from talk to deliverables; MoUs, state directives, product pilots. 

It also outlined the three imminent needs:

1. Operational interoperability: IDs, payments and credit data must travel across borders and systems. 
2. Demand-side capacity: push financial literacy and SME support so loans create sustainable businesses, not short-term liabilities. 
3. A visible pipeline of bankable projects guarantees that patient capital can be deployed quickly. 

If those steps are taken, the potential results repeated across the day, to turn Africa’s entrepreneurial energy into measurable growth, moves from aspiration to plan. “The future of African credit is not a prediction; it is a prototype we must build.”

In partnership with the AI giant, the University of Lagos (UNILAG) hosted the continent’s first OpenAI Academy, aimed at enhancing AI literacy and empowering African innovators. 

The programme took place from October 16–17, 2025, as part of the University’s 5th International Week themed “Equitable Partnerships and the Future of AI in Africa.” Students, faculty members, and tech leaders were present to explore the opportunities and ethical challenges of AI on the continent.

Speaking during the interactive session at UNILAG, Emmanuel Lubanzadio, Africa lead at OpenAI, said: “This collaboration is important. There’s a sense of urgency to act, not tomorrow, not yesterday, but now.”

The initiative was led by UNILAG’s Office of International Relations, Partnerships and Prospects (IRPP) in collaboration with the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec). 

It aligns with both the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030) and Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy, which prioritise inclusive digital skills and ethical innovation.

Professor Ismail Ibraheem, director of IRPP, said the partnership reveals the University’s global outlook and commitment to locally relevant impact.

“At the University of Lagos, we are intentional about preparing our students to solve the unique needs of our continent through global partnerships. We prioritise inclusive access to digital skills, research, and learning opportunities to empower future innovators. Our goal is to help them approach AI with contextual understanding and ethical responsibility,” he stated.

The OpenAI Academy is a core part of OpenAI’s education mission launched in 2024 to make AI literacy accessible to everyone through free workshops, hands-on sessions, and community-driven learning. 

The Lagos edition, its debut in Africa, featured practical sessions on machine learning, generative AI, AI ethics, responsible innovation, and real-world applications for African contexts.

Lubanzadio described the launch as both a milestone and a call to action for inclusive development.

“Africa is home to some of the world’s most creative, resourceful problem-solvers. We want to make sure they have the tools to turn their ideas into impact. 

“Launching the OpenAI Academy in Lagos is a major step toward supporting the next generation of African innovators, giving them practical skills, connecting them to a global community, and helping ensure that AI reflects African voices and priorities,” he said.

Lubanzadio noted that while UNILAG is the first partner in Nigeria, OpenAI has a bigger goal to expand AI access and literacy across Africa. “You have to start somewhere. Our vision is that AI becomes as accessible as electricity, something everyone can use. But access or AI literacy is not one company’s responsibility. It has to be a multi-stakeholder approach.”

The sessions engaged lecturers and students on AI’s role in education, innovation, and societal development. Conversations ranged from ethical use in academic work to AI’s potential in agriculture, healthcare, and local language preservation.

Lubanzadio noted examples such as Digital Green, which uses OpenAI tools to help farmers identify crop diseases, and Jacaranda Health, which leverages chatbots to assist expectant mothers in Kenya. “It shows how AI can be embedded in essential sectors like health and agriculture,” he explained.

He maintained that the focus should be on balance and human adaptability. “Technology has always disrupted, but humans adapt. We’ve survived every wave of change, AI is no different.”

On the issue of African language representation in AI models, Lubanzadio acknowledged the gap but noted progress. “We recently closed a partnership with Orange, which operates in 18 African countries. We’ve made our open-weight model available for African languages, starting with Wolof. It’s not enough, but it’s a start,” he said.

He further encouraged institutions to engage with OpenAI’s Open Academy, a free learning platform offering AI education resources to students and professionals globally.

Highlighting privacy, data use, and ethics, Lubanzadio clarified that OpenAI allows users to control whether their data is used for model training and complies with data protection laws in every jurisdiction.

He added that responsible AI must be pursued collectively, by policymakers, educators, and the private sector. “AI is here to stay, not as an imposition, but as an opportunity. Everyone has the choice to use it or not, but we must prepare for its presence,” he said.

The Lagos event, which coincided with OpenAI’s rollout of ChatGPT Go, a new, lower-cost subscription tier available in Nigeria and 56 other countries, stresses a growing focus on Africa as an important part of the global AI conversation.

Lubanzadio concluded that this collaboration is “only the beginning” of OpenAI’s long-term engagement with African academia.

“This partnership with UNILAG is not ending today, it’s the start of something bigger. The fact that we’re having this conversation is progress. Let’s build on it,” he said.

Nigeria’s healthcare system, many say, is hanging by a thread, stitched together by a federal health budget that limps at N1.33 trillion, just 2.7% of the N49.7 trillion national budget. 

Nonetheless, despite these shortcomings, there are outliers, those not waiting for the system to fix itself. Mrs Tonye Mayomi is one of them.

Africa Digital Awards Honours Mayomi Tonye

As the General Manager of Schubbs Dental Clinic, a leading dental care brand with a 38-year history, Tonye Mayomi manages healthcare businesses across three locations; commendably impacting how care is delivered, one facility at a time.

“I see it as giving back to my community,” she says, reflecting on her journey. “When people fall sick, they’re helpless, and setting up a practice that can help them get better—it strengthens the community.”

Her story is built on focus and uncomfortable truths about Nigeria’s broken healthcare infrastructure. For example, the country currently has one doctor for every 5,000 people, far below the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 1:600. And yet, Tonye Mayomi has managed to build and run successful healthcare operations, even in underserved areas.

Thriving in a Male-Dominated Space

Navigating the medical space as a woman in Nigeria comes with challenges. Mayomi faced them, winning. “Medicine is a male-dominated field in Nigeria. When you’re leading teams with consultants and doctors, they tend to look at you like you’re female, and they think they know more than you,” she shared.

But she never shrank. In fact, she made her presence non-negotiable. “The aspect of patient care is not a one-man system. You have the front officers, the cleaners, the procurement officers, human resources. Eventually, the doctors understood that no one should be looked down on. And they even started giving me more respect than they gave their medical colleagues.”

For Tonye Mayomi, giving up has never been an option. “Maybe because I got into this field at the right age. I was already in my 30s, so I knew it was my calling—to help people feel better and to make healthcare practices function better. Without us as healthcare administrators, doctors can’t function properly.”

Her determination has kept some doctors from fleeing Nigeria’s overburdened system. “Many doctors who have encountered me have always felt a relief. Some of them have even decided not to leave Nigeria.”

That is no small feat in a country where over 15,000 Nigerian doctors have left in the past decade, seeking better pay and working conditions abroad.

The Cost of Care and Customer Service

Speaking about the challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system, Mayomi said. “Customer care is a major issue. The cost of care is another. When people can’t afford to pay for care, it slows down the entire system—everyone feels it, from the doctors to the front desk officers.”

In Nigeria, less than 10% of citizens are covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, leaving millions to either self-fund their treatments or go without care.

Mayomi stresses that addressing these two areas, cost and customer service, is highly important. “We need to improve patient management systems. It’s a continuous process, but hopefully, this will result in a healthcare system that actually works for Nigerians.”

Cleanliness, Compassion and Care

While the system’s cracks are glaring, Tonye Mayomi believes there are practical ways to work around them. Her philosophy is fixed on cleanliness, compassion and patient-centred care. 

“Sick people don’t want to come into dirty hospitals. They want to feel welcomed. The way a patient is treated is as important as the medicine you give them. If you throw a malaria medicine at somebody, it will work, but they will never forget how you made them feel,” she said, challenging the culture of transactional care with a more humane approach.

Advocating Innovation and Women Inclusion

Speaking on innovations, Mayomi has led and is pushing for full automation. “We use Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Patients can book appointments online, and when they come in, they don’t need to pass files around. Within minutes, they’ve been assigned to a doctor. We also use marketing tools that automatically send out information about our services.”

She insists that technology is not a threat but an enabler. “Doctors need to be humble enough to learn. It’s not a competition with technology; it can enhance their performance.”

And for women’s participation in healthcare, she says it needs to go beyond nursing. “Women are an underserved population in medicine, especially in administration and facility management. But now is the time. If you can hold a screwdriver, you can run a hospital’s facility management gate and you will be relevant for a very long time.”

At the 2023/2024 Medical and Dental Induction Ceremony at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Idi-Araba, Schubbs Dental, under her leadership, presented cash prizes to the best graduating student in Dentistry and the best student in Restorative Dentistry.

“It is only reasonable that we support students who are becoming doctors today,” she says. “We will keep supporting doctors in Nigeria and hoping that will shift the middle, so more people will stay or even come back to serve their country.”

Her long-term dream? To see every healthcare facility in Nigeria fully automated. “I advocate automation. I advocate women inclusion. I advocate continuous learning. I advocate best practices in medical care. These are the things I push every day.”

“I would love to see Nigeria become a medical hub, like Turkey. Why can’t Nigeria be where people come for their surgeries, their paediatric procedures? We have more doctors graduating here than anywhere else. This is something I’m actively pushing.”

And her parting advice? “Exercise more. We are seeing more young people who are overweight, and it causes so many other health issues. Wake up in the morning, take a walk. If you can’t run, take a walk. Just move.”

In a healthcare system where most people are struggling just to stay alive, Tonye Mayomi is building and leading to ensure inclusive and working conditions.