BHM Holdings appoints new MDs for BHM, ID Africa, names Ayeni Adekunle Group CEO

BHM Holdings has appointed Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson and Njideka Akabogu as managing directors of its operating companies, BHM and ID Africa, respectively, following the completion of its first private placement and the formalisation of a new group structure.

The appointments, which take effect on January 1, 2027, are part of a restructuring that will see the group’s founder, Ayeni Adekunle, assume the role of Group Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair, effective November 6, 2026.

Under the new arrangement, Adekunle will oversee investment, governance, technology, talent development and international expansion, while transferring day-to-day management of the operating companies to their respective executives.

BHM Holdings said BHM, ID Africa and Plaqad now operate as companies within the group.

New leadership and group structure

Iretomiwa Akintunde-Johnson will lead BHM as Managing Director, while Njideka Akabogu will head ID Africa.

Plaqad will continue to be led by Joseph Enesu, who pioneered BHM AI Labs and the development of Plaqad Intelligence.

The new structure is designed to give each operating company greater management independence and accountability while allowing them to share technology, intellectual property, governance, talent and international partnerships.

Adekunle said the restructuring would help strengthen the group’s institutional capacity and support its next phase of growth.

• “Capital is most useful when it strengthens the institution,” he said.
• “Our priorities are clear: proprietary technology, better services, international expansion and the development of leaders who can build each company independently while benefiting from the capabilities of the wider group,” he added.

BHM Holdings’ operations and growth

The management restructuring follows BHM Holdings’ completion of its first private placement in August 2026, with the group planning to deploy the proceeds into technology and new services.

• Although it did not disclose the amount raised or the identities of the participating investors, the group said the funds would support the continued development of its artificial intelligence-powered communications and intelligence platform.
• Founded in Lagos in 2006, BHM Holdings operates through BHM, ID Africa and Plaqad, with activities spanning public relations, reputation management, communications advisory, media, intelligence and technology.
• BHM operates directly or through franchise arrangements in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States, while ID Africa has operations across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.
• The group has more than 100 full-time employees, contract professionals and associate fellows, alongside an extended network of more than 500 vendors, creators, freelancers, influencers and partners.

According to PRovoke Media, BHM grew its revenue by more than 400% over the preceding decade, recording a compound annual growth rate of nearly 30%.

The company has also received 26 acknowledgements from the publication over five years and appeared four times on its Best Agencies in Africa list.

Beyond its commercial operations, BHM Holdings has developed industry initiatives including World PR Day, NECLive and the Africa PR and Communications Report.

BHM’s expansion across African markets

The latest restructuring builds on BHM Holdings’ earlier efforts to expand its communications operations beyond Nigeria, particularly through ID Africa’s regional presence.

• Nairametrics earlier reported that ID Africa had expanded its operations into Ghana and Kenya, as part of its pan-African expansion strategy. The company was established in 2015 by Ayeni Adekunle as part of BHM before becoming a standalone communications and advisory operation.

Beyond ID Africa’s regional expansion, other Nigerian communications firms have also gained recognition across the continent.

Nairametrics reported in September 2026 that Chain Reactions Africa ranked third among Africa’s top five public relations consultancies, while winning the Large Consultancy category in the inaugural PR Consultancy Performance Index.