Broadcasting
How BlackHouse Media is Spearheading the Future of PR and Communications in Africa
By David Adeleke
BHM, a global Public Relations and Communications agency based in Nigeria and the UK, is launching the first-ever Africa Public Relations and Communications Report on July 16, 2022.
This development comes five years after the BHM launched the Nigeria Public Relations Report to place Nigeria on the global communications industry map by gathering insights and analysis from experts and examining the challenges and opportunities within Nigeria’s fast-growing Public Relations industry.
The success of the Nigeria Public Relations Report has revealed the need to replicate the quality and depth of insights on a continental scale. 2022 will make it two years since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and changed life as we know it forever. It has impacted every sphere of human life, from interpersonal relationships to corporate communications and international relations.
For Africa, these changes were profound and mostly unfamiliar. This was partly due to high levels of poverty and illiteracy and the insufficient quality of the infrastructure that make health communication more seamless and effective.
Africa’s cities are home to a growing population of 600 million people, and they account for over 50% of the continent’s GDP, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). When this is viewed against the backdrop of the sudden unemployment crisis caused by the pandemic, it is easy to understand the massive impact that COVID-19 had on the economy. Firms and businesses, especially SMEs, which account for 80% of employment in Africa, have been shaken to their core, with the cost of living jumping by over 100% in the past year.
As the search for solutions to help adjust to this new reality continues, the dissemination of quality information will help the continent and cross-border relations. This is why the new Africa Public Relations Report aims to bridge the divide and reduce the staggering effects of the pandemic on the countries in the continent and their various PR and Communications industries.
Access to this type of information will help influence policymaking and corporate practice on every level of human association within businesses, schools, families, public service, and so on.
This visible need for data-inspired the World Bank to create the World Development Report for 2021, fittingly tagged “Data For Better Lives”. According to the bank, the availability of an accurate compendium can propel social and economic growth on all levels in the world ecosystem. Data gathered from one source can go on to inform change in many ways.
The numerous benefits of high penetration of information can be seen in other countries where similar reports are created regularly. In Los Angeles, the Relevance Report is handled by the Centre of Public Relations at the University of Southern California.
The report is published annually alongside the Global Communications Report and is a collection of essays and trend pieces from PR industry leaders and USC academics. This year’s edition addresses the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the social justice protests on the PR industry.
Contributors include corporate executives from leading global PR firms like Golin, Edelman and Peppercomm. It also consists of input from top communication leaders from Google, Disney, AEG, and IBM.
In New York, PRovoke Media, formerly known as the Holmes Report, helps provide knowledge, information and analysis of the PR business and its stakeholders. They do this through provokemedia.com, where they publish regular case studies, original reports, and research. They also publish a free weekly global newsletter featuring professional industry insights and a crisis review, which chronicles the lessons learned from the biggest PR crises of the year.
By taking a leaf from its book and that of other global PR powers, BHM positions itself as a major industry player in it for the long run. It will expand and serve as a reference point for the PR and Communications industry across Africa. The Africa Public Relations report will serve as a well-rounded mirror that helps the world understand the way Africa sees itself, the way the world sees Africa, and the way Africa sees the world.
David Adeleke is a writer, media analyst, and communications strategist with over seven years of experience in media and technology.
Canal+ is to cut jobs at MultiChoice as part of a sweeping restructuring plan aimed at stabilising the African pay-TV operator, following years of operational and financial pressure.
The move comes alongside a planned $115 million capital injection, underscoring the urgency of efforts to revive the business after the French media group took control.
The planned layoffs are expected to form a core element of a broader cost-cutting and efficiency drive, as Canal+ seeks to streamline MultiChoice’s operations and improve profitability.
The restructuring signals a shift toward leaner operations, with a focus on eliminating redundancies and optimising the company’s cost base.
MultiChoice has struggled in recent years with declining subscriber numbers across key African markets, weighed down by macroeconomic pressures, currency volatility, and changing consumer behaviour.
The rise of global streaming platforms has intensified competition, chipping away at the company’s traditional pay-TV dominance.
Canal+’s intervention marks a pivotal moment for MultiChoice, reflecting a more aggressive approach to repositioning the business.
By combining fresh capital with structural reforms, the new owners are aiming to both stabilise short-term performance and lay the groundwork for longer-term growth.
The $115 million injection is expected to provide immediate financial relief, supporting operations and potential strategic initiatives.
However, the accompanying job cuts highlight the depth of the challenges facing the company and the scale of transformation required to restore competitiveness.
Nigeria has ranked first globally in the ownership of the two largest stablecoins, Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC), reflecting the country’s growing reliance on dollar-linked digital assets.
USDT, USDC
Stablecoins such as USDT and USDC are designed to maintain a fixed value against the U.S. dollar, allowing users to store money digitally while avoiding the price volatility associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
According to the 2026 Stablecoin Utility Report released by BVNK, about 59 percent of Nigerian crypto users hold USDT, while 48 percent own USDC, giving the country the highest combined ownership rate among all nations surveyed.
The report placed Nigeria ahead of several major economies, including Australia and India, highlighting the country’s strong adoption of dollar-denominated digital assets. Australia ranked second with 34 percent USDT ownership and 29 percent USDC, while India placed third with 30 percent USDT and 27 percent USDC holdings.
The study also examined adoption levels across other regions. Countries such as Colombia and Singapore showed strong usage of both stablecoins, while adoption levels were also notable in South Africa and the United States.
Other markets included in the analysis were Philippines, Thailand and Argentina, where stablecoin ownership has also increased significantly. Among European economies, the report said France and Germany showed moderate levels of adoption, while Latin American markets such as Mexico and Brazil recorded smaller but growing usage rates.
The United Kingdom also appeared in the ranking with modest levels of stablecoin ownership. The report noted that USDT ownership exceeds USDC in many countries, including Nigeria, Australia, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina and France.
However, USDC is often viewed as a more compliance-focused stablecoin because of its stronger transparency and regulatory alignment. In some markets, including South Africa, Colombia, Germany and Brazil, the report found that USDC adoption slightly exceeds USDT.
More broadly, the data suggests that stablecoin adoption is being driven largely by emerging economies rather than advanced financial markets. According to the report, countries such as Nigeria, Argentina and the Philippines are among the biggest users of stablecoins, where people increasingly rely on dollar-pegged digital assets to protect savings from currency volatility and facilitate cross-border payments.
Spotify has unveiled Nigeria-specific data from its annual Loud & Clear report, highlighting how Nigerian artists generated more than ₦60 billion in revenue from the platform alone last year, amid explosive growth in streams, local consumption, and global discovery.
The report, which analyzes millions of data points to illuminate music streaming economics, shows Nigerian artists’ revenue surged over 140% in the past two years.
This boom stems from rising global appeal and stronger domestic engagement, with 30.3 billion streams and 1.6 billion listening hours on Spotify in 2025. First-time discoveries of Nigerian music hit 1.3 billion, up 26% from 2024.
Locally, Nigerian tracks dominated Spotify Nigeria’s Daily Top 50, accounting for over 80% of features, while consumption of homegrown artists jumped 170% year-on-year.
“Nigeria’s music scene thrives on creativity, innovation, and global influence,” said Jocelyne Muhutu-Remy, Spotify’s Managing Director for Africa. “Loud & Clear spotlights how artists are forging sustainable careers and deepening local ties.”
Key highlights include:
55% year-on-year growth in local streams for Nigerian female artists.
75% surge in streams for independent Nigerian artists.
Independents and indie labels earning 58% of all royalties from Nigerian artists on Spotify.
Spotify’s editorial playlists featured nearly 2,000 Nigerian artists in 2025, boosting visibility. Nigerian music appeared in 320 million global user playlists and over 12 million in Nigeria, totaling more than 60 million playlists worldwide.
The report also notes evolving tastes, with top-growing genres in Nigeria over five years including pop urbaine, alternative pop, anime, emo, and drill.
For full details, visit spotify.com/loudandclear.
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