Ohi Alegbe

Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

Ohi Alegbe joined the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as its spokesman armed with more than three decades of experience in literally all aspects of integrated marketing communications covering the media (print and electronic), public relations and advertising.

His appointment as the driver of corporate image for an organization that regularly struggles with perception issues was seen as the proverbial fitting of a round peg into a round whole, considering that he is a broadcaster, writer, journalist, opinion molder, public relations expert and advertising guru. Yet, despite his pedigree and impressive credentials, Alegbe took up his position at a time it wasn’t considered the most attractive job in the country.

It is, therefore, ample proof of his professional competence that NNPC has emerged from arguably the most difficult period in its history with a relatively positive image, despite the relentless bashing it received from Nigerians for reasons that range from issues of subsidy on imported petroleum products to allegations of unremitted proceeds from oil. Perhaps a better proof of the acknowledgement of his expertise and his relevance in the emerging new NNPC would be his survival of the gale of sack that swept away the jobs of 38 senior managers including general managers and executive directors, at the arrival of Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as group managing director.

Alegbe has traversed the media landscape, including stints at the then Bendel Broadcasting Service, Benin; African Guardian, African Concord, Sunday Times, AM News, The Guardian, National Concord, Radio Nigeria and Nigerian Television Authority. He distinguished himself in all the places he worked, receiving accolades either as an outstanding broadcaster or as a prolific writer.

He honed his skills in public relations at The Quadrant Company, one of Nigeria’s top grade public relations firms, with responsibility for policy formulation, media liaison, client service function and media damage control.

The experience he garnered at Quadrant equipped him with the requisite skills to set up his own public relations firm, Quest Communications Limited, of which he was the head consultant and chief executive officer.

Alegbe’s experience in the media, public relations and advertising industries, where he enjoys a robust relationship, has come in handy in the onerous task of managing the reputation of the nation’s oil behemoth and tender of the goose that lays the golden egg, especially at a time it is working to emerge as a new entity.