A decade after opening its doors, this Lagos-based image management consultancy has carved out a distinctive position in Africa’s communications landscape, not through volume, but through precision in moments that matter most. Whether protecting hard-earned credibility during critical transitions or amplifying the influence of those already at the top of their game, Nigerian brands, public figures, and institutions increasingly turn to one name: CI Public Relations Consulting Limited (CI Public Relations).
The firm’s strategic and meticulous approach recently earned formal recognition when Media Consortium Awards named CI Public Relations ‘Outstanding Firm in Crisis and Strategic Communications Nigeria 2025’ at its annual conference in Lagos.
The accolade, determined through rigorous evaluation of strategic capabilities and industry influence, marks a milestone in the agency’s evolution from startup to sector heavyweight.
At the heart of CI Public Relations ‘s success lies a clinical but simple diagnosis: in markets where institutions are fragile and public trust volatile, reputation isn’t a soft metric, it’s balance sheet material.
“Reputation is an organization’s most valuable asset,” says Femi Odewunmi, Group Chief Executive of Creative Intelligence Group, CI Public Relations ‘s parent company. “We’ve built our practice around agile strategy, anticipating challenges before they materialize, and helping clients protect what they’ve spent years building when stakes are highest.”
That philosophy translates into work across Nigeria’s most complex sectors: manufacturing, energy, finance, technology, health, public affairs, and hospitality. The agency is known for transforming communications into measurable business outcomes. Since opening in 2015, CI Public Relations has provided strategic counsel to some of Nigeria’s most notable brands and institutions: Flour Mills of Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria, Eko DisCo, EMZOR Pharmaceuticals, Olam Agri, West Power & Gas, Africa Soft Power, and Tomato Jos. Through reputation management, executive profiling, crisis advisory, and stakeholder engagement, the firm has positioned its clients for long-term credibility and market leadership.
CI Public Relations ‘s work in high-stakes communications sets it apart within Nigeria’s public relations landscape. From managing investor relations and corporate transitions to advising on reputational risks during regulatory and union-led crises, the firm has consistently demonstrated mastery in protecting public trust in good and turbulent times.
What distinguishes CI Public Relations in a crowded market is its track record in high-pressure environments. The firm’s involvement in managing communications around Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Eko DisCo) $200 million majority stake divestment stands as a landmark example of how effective communication can drive stakeholder alignment and investor confidence.
It also played a strategic, multidimensional role in Flour Mills of Nigeria’s corporate reputation, from stakeholder communications for its ₦65 billion sugar backward implementation plan, and its various acquisition ventures to architecting the narrative essence of the group’s ambitious pan-African expansion plan.
Similarly, Its work in repositioning Plateau State’s ₦8 billion Hill Station Resort revitalization project as a symbol of regional tourism growth showcase range, from protecting established blue-chips to reimagining regional infrastructure narratives.
The agency’s tagline “Agile Strategy. Trusted Influence”, isn’t marketing speak – it’s methodology. CI Public Relations treats communication as a strategic discipline with measurable tangible outcomes.
Behind the firm’s trajectory is Femi Odewunmi or simply FO in industry circles, a business and policy strategist whose two-decade career spans business, policy, and public influence. His credentials: membership of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) UK and Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), certifications from Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, and Future London Academy, provide technical foundation. But his real asset is systems thinking: the ability to see how communication ripples across organizations, markets, and institutions.
Under his leadership, Creative Intelligence Group has evolved into a multidisciplinary consultancy delivering advisory, reputation management, and policy communications across Africa, with CI Public Relations as its flagship.
As African markets grow more sophisticated and expectations rise for corporations, institutions and those leading them, CI Public Relations continues to set the pace not just as a service provider but as an indispensable public image lab, the firm that understands how reputations are built brick by brick, and how quickly they can crumble without strategic foresight.
In an era when trust has become businesses and brands’ scarcest commodity, CI Public Relations ‘s decade of delivery suggests it represents something rare: a business model built on both projection and protection, enabling clients in getting ahead of the narrative, and restoring hard-earned reputation when necessary.
