The PR doyenne reflects on an accidental career, fighting for a seat at the boardroom, and why 70 is just a number, Goddie Ofose writes.
At 70, Dr. Nkechi Ali-Balogun still wakes up at 3 am to work. She still runs a consultancy, still mentors, still sets the agenda for Nigeria’s PR industry. And she still doesn’t feel 70.
“I think people are the ones making me feel 70,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t feel anything. God gave me my youth, my strength. I service my Lamborghini so the engine doesn’t knock.”
An Accidental Career
Her journey into PR was never planned. As a young girl, she wanted to be either a journalist or a lawyer. “Journalism didn’t have that reputation for women then. And everyone called me ‘small lawyer’ at home.”
Life, however, had other plans. She taught for 13 years in Lagos State, got an NCE, then a degree in English. While waiting for the government to recall her as a teacher, fate intervened. A chance meeting in Ikoyi led to a job as a producer at NTA.
“I couldn’t get into news because they said my voice wasn’t ‘right’,” she recalled. “So I went into programs. I worked under the late Mr. Ate. He taught me documentaries, scriptwriting, and production. I owe him a lot.”
The next pivot came at NEXIM Bank. With the support of then CBN Deputy Governor Victor Odunsi, she pioneered the Public Relations Department. She built the brand from scratch — including the logo that lasted nearly 20 years.
“I was green, but I knew I needed to be professional,” she said. She joined NIPR in 1995, trained at Lagos Business School, and later at the Frank Jefkins School of PR in the UK.
PULL QUOTE:
“PR is a management function. You cannot be in the boardroom if you yourself do not know you are supposed to be in the boardroom, and you have not proven yourself.”
From ‘errand boys’ to boardroom
When Dr. Ali-Balogun started, PR was misunderstood. “For CEOs, PR was media relations. Get the boss on the front page. Branding? Strategy? Crisis counsel? They didn’t get it.”
Being a woman added another layer. “Most CEOs preferred male PROs. After AGMs, they thought men were better at organizing parties. I was very strict. My job was my job. Anything outside that, I didn’t do it.”
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She remembered resigning from NEXIM without a plan. “My MD was giving me stress. I came to Lagos and resigned at CBN. People said, ‘Are you crazy?’ I said no. My parents raised me not to be anybody’s slave for a job.”
The industry has since metamorphosed. “Today, Nigerian PR is strategic, global. We’re hosting the World PR Congress. That alone tells you how far we’ve come.”
On the long-standing complaint that PR isn’t in the boardroom, she’s blunt: “Who said they are not? Look at Dr. Soromidayo George at Nigerian Bottling Company, Victoria Uwadoka at Nestlé. The problem is some practitioners haven’t proven their mettle. PR is management. If you don’t know that, you won’t get there.”
The NECCI Roundtable Legacy
For over 20 years, her NECCI PR Roundtable has been the industry’s signature thought-leadership platform.
“It’s one of the initiatives that put PR on a pedestal,” she said. “We brought PLO Lumumba in our 9th edition. People asked, ‘How did you get him?’ We’ve raised the bar.”
The Roundtable has also shaped policy conversations. After their session on the ‘Blue Economy’, government agencies picked it up. During COVID, Peter Obi spoke. This year, the focus is AI, algorithms, and fighting misinformation ahead of elections.
“PR Roundtable will never die,” she insisted. “It’s not profit-making. I thank First Bank, Zenith, Stanbic IBTC, NIMASA and others who have supported us.”
On succession, she’s already grooming the next generation. “Turning 70 doesn’t mean winding down. Retirement means changing how you do things. I’m not slowing down.”
Restructuring PRCAN and the PhD drive
As head of PRCAN, she’s leading a restructuring. “Past presidents did a marvelous job. But we need a new, improved PRCAN for new developments in consultancy. Elections will hold before year-end.”
She also recently bagged a PhD — a childhood goal delayed by career and COVID. “It was personal. And honestly, at presentations, people with PhDs get prioritized. I wanted to self-actualize.”
She supports the government’s directive that honorary doctorates shouldn’t be used as “Dr.”
“I welcome it. If you want it, go and read for it. It’s not fair to those who suffered for it.”
Life, family and what’s next
Her secret to looking and sounding 50 at 70? “God. And a supportive husband. He lets me fly. If I say, ‘I’m going to Ibadan with Goddie tomorrow,’ he says, ‘go.’ My daughter is my anchor. My home comes first.”
Does she have new plans post-70? “I already run an NGO. I have two projects I’ll unveil later. I will work till God calls me home. Age brings maturity. You choose your battles. I can come to work at 12 pm now because I own my business. I’m not trying to impress anybody anymore.”
And the NIPR presidency? “No. At 70, why? There are young, brilliant people. We should be kingmakers and mentors. The current president, Dr. Ike Neliaku, has been a catalyst. He’s disrupted the industry. My prayer is that someone will sustain it.”
As she turned 70 a month ago, one thing is clear: Dr. Nkechi Ali-Balogun didn’t set out to define Nigerian PR. But for more than three decades, she has.
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