SPECIAL FEATURE
Eniola Harrison and Annie Mutamba , co-founders of Africa Communications Week, talk about the significant role communications plays in influencing the narrative about Africa and how nuanced and non-stereotypical storytelling can help drive the continent’s development By Başak Pamir, OPEC Fund C ertain images flood people’s minds (and TV screens, newspapers and social media feeds), when the topic is Africa’s development. Frequently, media tend to focus on stereotypical images that perpetuate notions of poverty, instability and underdevelopment, overshadowing the cultural wealth, economic potential and entrepreneurial spirit that shape many African countries. Not only do clichés distort the international perception of Africa, but they also influence large investment decisions. Recognizing the importance of a more accurate depiction, Annie Mutamba and Eniola Harrison, two African communications professionals, saw an opportunity to reshape the biased narrative by creating awareness and promoting a more diverse, realistic, nuanced and data-driven representation of Africa. The OPEC Fund Quarterly met the two movers at the OECD Development Communication Network’s annual meeting in Madrid in late October.
ENIOLA HARRISON Eniola Harrison is a communications consultant, passionate about Africa’s transformation through strategic communications. She is the founder of Bamboo Communications, a strategic communications consultancy and co- founder of Africa Communications Week. After completing a Master in Corporate Communication from IE Business School, she joined IE's International Development as Director of IE Nigeria. Eniola is the Director of IE University's Africa Center.
OPEC Fund Quarterly : Let’s start with the beginning. Can you share the background of Africa Communications Week and how it all began? Eniola Harrison: In 2017, Annie and I, two communications professionals from Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, met in Brussels. Frustrated by the negative narratives about our countries and Africa, we asked ourselves: “What do we as communications experts do to drive a more positive perception?” We were aware that both our wonderful countries were in a way trapped in negative reputations and we knew this was the case for many African countries. Annie Mutamba: Exactly. The turning point was the impact of the Ebola crisis, prompting us to think about the role of communications in Africa’s development. We decided to launch Africa Communications Week, inviting communications professionals
We were aware that both our wonderful countries were in a way trapped in negative reputations and we knew this was the case for many African countries.
ANNIE MUTAMBA Annie Mutamba is a strategic communications consultant and co-founder of Africa Communications Week. Prior she was CEO of Meridia Partners, the first public affairs firm specializing in EU-Africa relations. She started her career in Washington, D.C. at the Africa Policy Information Center before managing communication and advocacy at the European Chemical Industry Council. Since 2010 she is also a lecturer at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Social Communications (IHECS) in Brussels.
Eniola Harrison, Director of IE University’s Africa Center
from around the world to join a campaign to foster
collaboration and ensure that we as communicators take the lead in shaping the narrative on Africa.
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