Airtel’s PR Director, Oparah, Provides Insight on Crisis Management

Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State; March 16, 2015: Director of Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Nigeria, Emeka Oparah, has called on reputation managers and Public Relations practitioners to continuously engage and connect with their various stakeholders, stating that effective stakeholders’ engagement is a critical element in successful crisis management especially in the new communication world order ruled by social media.

 Oparah, who urged communications executives to pay close attention to social media, stated that with the overwhelming influence of this new media, it is extremely important for media managers to adopt a proactive and robust strategy in managing its influence on stakeholders.

 

The Airtel Executive, who delivered a paper entitled Contemporary Challenges in Reputation and Crisis Management,on March 12, 2015 at the Performing Arts Theatre, Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State as part of activities marking the 60th birthday colloquium for Dr. Wole Adamolekun, provided insights into how Airtel Nigeria managed its 2011 call centre crises and a bomb attack on one of its flagship showrooms in Kano, in 2012.

 Speaking on the 2011 Abuja call centre crises, he noted that Airtel leveraged on its massive goodwill to engage all the various stakeholders. He, however, noted that without a clear social media strategy at the time, the telecommunications briefly lost control of the crisis which cost it significantly in reputation and financial terms.

According to him, the crisis management team, constituted by the management to address the crisis, was able to rebound due to the good relationship the company had built with its stakeholders including the traditional media, which aced the way for them to manage their concerns and expectations until all the crisis was amicably resolved.

 

On the Kano Showroom terror attack, he explained that notwithstanding the complicated security operations associated with such an incident, the company was able to do the needful including contacting all employees and their families, issuing regular communications, engaging the relevant stakeholders and ensuring the disruption to its operations was minimal. 

 The Airtel PR Director emphasized the need to have a crisis plan in place as a crucial first step in managing a crisis and, in some cases, preventing crisis from occurring, adding that the first 24 hours of a crisis is most crucial and can be a success or failure depending on how prepared an organization is for crisis.

He further advised communication managers to pay close attention to social media in planning, anticipating and managing crises situations, saying both the Call Centre Crisis and the Kano Office Terror attack occurred in the new world communications Order where a Public Relations Manager has little or no control over what gets said, seen or heard by stakeholders. 

 

Against this backdrop, he advised communication managers to be proactive, open, transparent, thoughtful and calm when dealing with crisis, adding that reputation managers should always set the right expectations and manage access to social media platforms carefully and professionally.

 

The lecture, which was attended by students of Elizade University, also had in attendance several dignitaries including the celebrant, Dr. Wole Adamolekun; the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Valentine Ayobore Aletor; former Managing Director, Rosabel Leo Burnett Advertising, Mr. Sam Johnson and Managing Director of CMC Connect Perception Managers, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya.

 

Currently Director, Corporate Communications & CSR at Airtel Nigeria, with responsibility for Public Relations, Internal Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Events & Sponsorships, Oparah’s 23 year career has traversed the communications world taking him through, journalism, advertising, public relations, consumer public relations, Social Communications and New Media Management, public and government Affairs.