African public relations agency recognised by The Financial Times

A single-minded proposition, hard work and a commitment to clients, people, and community, are key to growing an agency.

BHM has been recognised by The Financial Times as one of Africa’s Top 100 fastest-growing companies. It’s unusual for a privately held public relations firm to be recognised by the publication.

It’s recognition of the vision and drive of founder Ayeni Adekunle, in building BHM over the past 17 years. He has built the organisation from Lagos, Nigeria, without external funding or debt.

“BHM has enjoyed tremendous support from clients, partners and the public relations community in Africa and abroad. And we are committed to building what I hope will become Africa's first truly global communications services company,” said Ayeni.

I first met BHM’s Ayeni during the lockdown in 2020 and helped him launch the business in the UK the following year. I have subsequently joined the board as a non-executive director.

BHM is a case study of building a successful agency and professional services organisation in the public relations market.

Ayeni is a strategic thinker with a single-minded proposition. BHM helps organisations outside Africa understand the African market and organisations in Africa develop into international markets.

It’s a contemporary position for the Brexit era as UK companies look to new markets and a recognition that the axis of international politics and trade is flexing from the US-EU to Asia-Africa.

Hard work is another of Ayeni’s attributes. He spends his time shuttling between Nigeria and the UK, supporting clients and his team. His enthusiasm for the business remains constant.

BHM employs 100 people in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and the UK. Its clients include The Macallan, Heineken, MTN, and Shoprite.

The organisation is people led in an absolute way. Almost everyone in a senior role at BHM has grown up with the business.

Enitan Kehinde, the general manager of the UK operation, is typical. She worked in Nigeria for five years before setting up the new office. Last year industry publication PRovoke named her as one of the top innovators in Europe.

BHM has developed its own technology platform that it sells to other agencies and communications teams as a service. Turning a cost centre into a product is a strategy from Amazon’s playbook.

The agency’s work is underpinned by data and research. It published a report this week about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the African diaspora living in the UK. A report on the African PR industry is planned for publication later this year.

Investment in its own communities is a key value for the BHM. It created an annual World PR Day on 16 July 2021 to promote the value of public relations to management. Last year it was recognised by 30 public relations associations and 10,000 practitioners in 60 countries.

The recognition by The Financial Times of BHM is another important metric of the growing maturity of public relations as a professional management discipline.

What’s next? Ayeni is building an international operation. He’s got his sights set on the US later this year and the development of the management team to support future growth.