Nigeria’s BHM Ranked among Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies for Second Straight Year
Nseobong Okon-Ekong
BlackHouse Media (BHM) has secured a place on the Financial Times’ prestigious list of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies for the second consecutive year. This was a remarkable achievement for an independent communications consultancy.
It is a positive indication for a privately held public relations firm to be honoured by the publication, one of the world’s leading financial and business newspapers.
Now in its third year, the FT ranks independent African companies by their organic, internally stimulated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue for the period under review.
The research was carried out by Statista, a leading data and analytics company. There are also 149 other organisations on the list this year, including major players like Enara Group, Egypt; Moniepoint Inc, Nigeria; as well as real estate companies like Africa Works, Mauritius.
BHM ranked number 89 this year.
“The incredible support from our clients and partners across the world has been instrumental in our growth,” said Ayeni Adekunle who founded the company in 2006 after having worked as a journalist with Nigerian publications, THISDAY and The Punch.
“This recognition is further validation of our strategic vision, and our ambition to build the first truly global communications services company with African roots,” he added.
BHM operates in Lagos Nigeria, Accra Ghana and Nairobi Kenya as well as in Edinburgh and London in the UK. Last year, through the ID Africa imprint, it expanded into Kenya and Ghana, with plans to open up other African countries later this year. A US operation is also set to begin later in August.
“This is a testament to the hard work of our people and the incredible support we’ve enjoyed from partners and clients,” added the company’s Executive Director, Femi Falodun.
BHM employs around 100 people in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria, and the UK. Its clients include renowned brands like The Macallan, Heineken/Nigerian Breweries Plc., DSTV, Showmax, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc., Honeywell Group, FCMB Group Plc, and many others. It is the only public relations and communications company on the prestigious FT ranking.
The ranking was created by the FT and Statista to showcase the continent’s private growth champions. “The FT-Statista ranking reveals the type of companies that, even in hard times, have managed to grow, often by disrupting markets,” the article stated.
According to the ranking data, BHM achieved an impressive compound annual growth rate of 29.27 per cent between 2019 and 2022 and an absolute growth of 116 per cent.
The agency’s work is constantly strengthened by data and research. Last year, it published four reports including research on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the African diaspora living in the UK and a report on the African PR industry – the Africa PR & Communications Report.
Ayeni added, “Our mission is to serve clients across the African continent and globally. Every recognition we receive along the way strengthens our resolve to succeed. We have an unwavering belief in the continent and its people, and the value we can bring to the world.”
Investment in its communities is a key value for BHM. It created the annual World PR Day on 16 July 2021 to promote the value of public relations to management. Last year the commemorative day was recognised by 30 public relations associations and 10,000 practitioners in 60 countries.
Meanwhile, BHM has also been recognised as a top five fastest growing consultancy in EMEA/APAC by PRovoke Media, and earned a total of 17 nominations and two wins in two years at the prestigious SABRE Awards.
