More Marketing Communications Practitioners Set to Leave Nigeria, Africa 

Raheem Akingbolu

Africa PR & Communication Report has Revealed that brain drain is currently threatening the advancement of PR and communications practice in Africa, with concerns over the emigration African PR practitioners dominating issues relating to talent recruitment, development and retention.

The Africa PR & Communications Report, developed by Nigeria-based agency BHM’s Research Intelligence arm in partnership with industry bodies, is based on focus group discussions, interviews, surveys, and essay contributions from over 500 industry practitioners in 29 countries across North, Southern, East, Central and West Africa.

According to the report, nearly all PR practitioners (90 per cent) believe that more professionals are willing to leave the African country in which they operate while 80 per cent are convinced that even entry-level staff are already considering their exit from their countries. A lack of access to tools and resources, training and development and poor compensation are cited as critical factors driving the exodus of professionals and young talent in the industry.

BHM Founder and Africa PR & Communications Report Committee Chair, Ayeni Adekunle said a report on the challenges facing the industry on the continent was “long overdue”.

 “It is not particularly strange that more young African talents are seeking relocation to countries with advanced economies, but it is a wake-up call for the PR industry to reflect on how it provides talents with the necessary tools and environment to thrive,” Adekunle said

Committee Advisor and BHM Director, Stephen Waddington, said: “Respondents have pointed us in the directions we must take to fill the skills gap regarding capacity building, training and welfare support. Unsurprisingly, practitioners highlighted the opportunity to increase their salary by at least half by moving to a similar position in any country of their choice.”

The report finds that optimism around the training and recruitment of practitioners is frail, with 70 per cent of respondents strongly disagreeing that there is an improved industry commitment to investing in resources necessary to upskill and hire new talents. A further 75 per cent are convinced that the PR and communications industry is suffering from the drastic plunge in talent availability.

A dearth in the availability of qualified and experienced talents is widely believed by 81 per cent of respondents to be responsible for excessive workload or job demands for practitioners who remain with PR agencies in Africa, leaving them exposed to physical and mental exhaustion, decreased productivity, and increased stress and anxiety.

Inadequate earnings perhaps represent the most appealing factor for PR practitioners seeking relocation out of the continent. In countries such as Nigeria and Ghana 17 per cent of industry professionals earn less than $200 USD per month while a third (32 per cent) earn between $200 and $1,000 monthly, especially in Rwanda and Kenya. In Botswana, DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, 24 per cent earned above $1,000 but below $10,000 as monthly income.

Overall, 73 per cent of industry professionals in the survey earn less than $10,000 per month, with only 8.5 per cent per cent of practitioners earning a monthly income of more than $10,000.

However, industry professionals in Africa are confident there could be a turnaround in achieving favourable salary benchmarks within the industry, as they believe more quality work and private investment will precipitate significant change.

Adekunle said: “This report allows us to critically examine the gap needed to be filled for PR practitioners in Africa to feel fulfilled and properly motivated. It is necessary to prioritise continuous training and development among young talents and encourage more private investments that can lead to favourable compensation benchmarks for the industry. Overall, the report will help us to effectively manage complexities in the practice, especially in relation to economic, societal, and international challenges.”