As an advocate of town and gown, Chido Nwakanma, CEO, Blueflower has finally harnessed his love as a passionate academic and professional public relations practitioner to bear on the current and would be Public Relations practitioners as the referred communication strategist and scholar is set to unveil his debut book on Public Relations premised on current industry realities and global best practice.
Newsy though, this may not be a total surprise to those who have been long enough in the industry to know some of Chido’s striking antecedents as a media expert with extensive media experience, fused with robust integrated marketing and communication careers.
A privileged preview of the book cover reveals a rather cheeky title “Media Relations Playbook – 25 Proven Effective Hacks”. This suggests that unlike Chido’s grandiose experience garnered in over the last three decades, his maiden book will focus on a narrow aspect of Public Relations. Moreso, some practitioners in a bid to elevate Public Relations do say rightly or wrongly, “Media Relations is not Public Relations”! This suggests the title of the book is potentially potent to ignite some progressive conversation. I expect some from the APRA President/Group CEO, CMC BCW, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya. YBO has never hidden his “disdain” for potential clients who take media relations as all that is to Public Relations.
However, going by the cover illustrations, which hack into some elements of strategy, essence of PR, new and social media, the book will be as fertile as Chido’s professional consulting experience (hands-on) in Nigeria and across Africa. It will, therefore, be expected to be rich enough to serve as a working bible for practitioners and students of PR in the new age of technology and new media.
The “narrow” nature of the theme, however, could be a good omen for the industry and academia it portends more is to be expected from the author’s erudite mind immersed in years of multi-dimensional professional accomplishments.
The anticipated book will prove a welcome development in an industry accursed with a dearth of relevant books in tune with local realities, case studies, and nuances.
Mr. Nwakanma who is chief executive of Blueflower Limited, a strategic communication management firm and an Adjunct Faculty, Media & Communications, Pan Atlantic University, is a highly sort after in specialties such as communication strategy development and execution, branding and identity, content development, custom publishing, media engagement, editing.
Prior to setting up Blueflower, Chido was chief executive at Taijo Wonukabe Limited; Export, Institutional Sales as well as Media Relations Manager at Cadbury Nigeria plc.
He was also General Editor of BUSINESS magazine and regional correspondent (PH) covering the South-South and South East for the defunct ThisWeek magazine.
The new author is a respected voice in Nigeria’s communication circles. Nwakanma is President of the International Association of Business Communicators, Nigeria, and was President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) (2012-2014).
Nwakanma holds memberships in various professional bodies including the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations UK. As Adjunct Faculty in the School of Media & Communication, Pan Atlantic University, Nwakanma teaches undergraduate and postgraduate diploma courses in the History and Development of Nigerian Media, News Reporting, News Writing, and Editing.
He also supports professional education programmes with courses in Business Communication, Professional Writing, Development Communication, Media Trends, and Public Relations.
Nwakanma holds an Upper Honours BA in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, MSc Media and Communication of Pan Atlantic University and MSc Sociology from the University of Lagos.
