AI is not replacing storytelling; it’s amplifying it, says Ifeanyi Abraham, who looks at PR, communications, and the African AI future

From Lagos to Dubai, Ifeanyi Abraham has become one of the defining figures in Africa’s media, technology, and communications ecosystem. A strategist, writer, and community builder, he has worked at the crossroads of storytelling, innovation, and artificial intelligence for over a decade. His journey from pioneering digital PR at IrokoTV and Konga to building WebInfluencers Digital, Africa’s most advanced PR, media, and AI ecosystem, shows a rare blend of creativity and data-driven precision. In this interview, AI, PR and other issues are discussed. Daniel Obi brings the excerpts.

You have been at the centre of PR and communications for some of Africa’s biggest technology brands. How did it all begin?

It began in 2011 at IrokoTV, in the early days of Nigeria’s digital content revolution. I was part of a small team figuring out how to make African content global. From there, I joined Konga, one of Nigeria’s boldest e-commerce startups, where I linked storytelling to measurable growth.

At Konga, I developed conversion-tracking PR, embedding Google pixels into every press article to track sales from specific media placements. We discovered that platforms like Linda Ikeji’s Blog and Nairaland drove strong conversions when the content mirrored their tone. It proved that PR isn’t just visibility; it’s revenue.

Leaving Konga was hard, but I joined eTranzact under Valentine Obi and Ike Eze, where I had full creative freedom. I built campaigns that merged finance, technology, and culture. At 22, I was pitching and executing strategies with global executives, a reminder that innovation has no age limit, only evidence and clarity.

“AI is the new infrastructure of progress. In Nigeria, Bosun Tijani has been instrumental in ensuring Africa isn’t excluded from global dialogue. His approach combines infrastructure, innovation, and policy, empowering local startups to build world-relevant solutions.”

You were one of the earliest champions of influencer marketing in Nigeria. How did that start?

Between 2012 and 2017, I was deeply involved in Nigeria’s influencer marketing explosion. I consulted for more than ten agencies, including Bytesize, Insight, and Wild Fusion, handling influencer strategy for banks, telcos, and FMCGs.

We trended hashtags for about ₦250,000 each, often five to ten a week. It was wild, but it taught me community psychology—what people care about, what sparks engagement, and how digital culture spreads. That became my laboratory.

I also consulted for Rocket Internet companies like Jumia, worked on the CBN’s BVN rollout communications, and contributed to INEC’s strategic communications. Those years were formative. We weren’t just selling products; we were selling trust in digital systems at a time when many Nigerians doubted them. It also birthed a generation of young digital communicators now leading major agencies.

What did you learn about digital storytelling from those early years?

At Konga, I learnt that data and storytelling must coexist. Every story was measurable, and the best ones directly influenced sales. That insight shaped my lifelong obsession with performance PR: communications that convert.

You were involved in Lagos State’s political communications team. How did that refine your craft?

Politics tests every skill a communicator has: strategy, empathy, and timing. I learnt to manage narratives that impact millions and interpret public sentiment in real time. It deepened my belief that strategic communication can shape not just perception but progress.

Read also: Communicating across the aisle: A public relations approach to healing divides

You eventually left Nigeria and moved to Dubai. What led to that?

In 2019, I relocated to Dubai because I wanted to operate globally. Dubai represented ambition, order, and innovation.

I collaborated with thought leaders like Mark Rober, Terrence Mauri, Raha Moharrak, and Joy Ajlouny, supporting them in storytelling, thought leadership, and digital positioning, unlocking nearly $1 million in visibility and consulting revenue for them.

I also founded Nigerians in Dubai, now a 25,000-member network connecting entrepreneurs, consultants, and professionals through business setups and relocation support. It became one of the UAE’s most dynamic African diaspora ecosystems.

During Expo 2020 Dubai, I supported outreach connecting African innovators with global opportunities, a humbling experience that reaffirmed that communication is diplomacy; it builds nations as much as brands.

I even ventured into luxury real estate, selling multimillion-dollar properties, which deepened my understanding of persuasion and high-net-worth psychology. Recognition followed, including my listing among the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).

You’ve always been passionate about community building. What does it mean to you?

Community is my operating system. Whether it’s The Beverage Room, Nigerians in Dubai, or FindBlackExperts, the foundation is the same—people, trust, and shared progress.

FindBlackExperts became a bridge between global companies and African professionals, evolving into a book and consulting platform for diversity-driven organisations. Communities drive culture, and culture drives business. My work simply connects both.

You have written for and been featured in over 100 international outlets. What does storytelling mean to you today?

Storytelling is data with soul. I’ve written for and appeared on CNN, Huffington Post UK, Gulf News, the Guardian, BusinessDay, Ventures Africa, and London Daily News.

During the pandemic, I co-produced CNN Heroes and Changemakers, spotlighting Africans leading crisis-response innovation. It proved that Africa doesn’t just endure crises—it reinvents itself through them.

That conviction inspired TechSoma, a platform documenting how technology, media, and creativity are redefining African economies. Today, TechSoma.Africa, TechSoma.ME, and TechSoma.CA trace innovation across continents.

Our next chapter integrates AI infrastructure for brands, governments, and institutions, making communication measurable, adaptive, and emotionally intelligent.

What is “expansive thinking”, and how do you apply it in your work?

Expansive thinking means refusing to think small. AI now enables one idea to live across multiple formats.

My upcoming trilogy, Finding Love Online, began as a book but now includes an event, docu-series, app, and AI-powered experience. It’s proof that AI multiplies imagination. I teach founders and creators to think bigger and build smarter.

Nigeria’s place in the global AI conversation has been growing. What’s your view?

AI is the new infrastructure of progress. In Nigeria, Bosun Tijani has been instrumental in ensuring Africa isn’t excluded from global dialogue. His approach combines infrastructure, innovation, and policy, empowering local startups to build world-relevant solutions.

Bosun’s balance between global advocacy and local empowerment is exactly what Africa needs.

You and Stephanie Busari of CNN Africa co-founded Her Story: Taking Root, Sparking Change, one of 2025’s standout cultural moments. How did that happen?

Her Story was co-created by Stephanie Busari and me as a platform celebrating African women shaping global narratives. The March 2025 event combined storytelling, live performance, and digital art, with pieces auctioned for women-led causes.

We chronicled more than 40 extraordinary women and proved that purpose-driven storytelling can drive both culture and commerce, a celebration of excellence, partnership, and possibility.

Let’s talk about your company, WebInfluencers Digital. What sets it apart?

WebInfluencers Digital is building Africa’s most advanced ecosystem for PR, media, and AI.

We’ve powered visionary projects like LagRide, EyeOnImo (with SBB Media), and ImoTalentHub; worked with royalty such as Olori Atuwatse III; supported innovators like Flutterwave; and advised brands including Esorae Living and Prestigious Homes.

We also lead the Diverse Business Summit UK and Dubai, advancing diversity, technology, and entrepreneurship across continents.

Our AI products – PrayerRequest AI, Ramadan Intelligence, ThoughtLeadersAI, PoliticsPlus and JournalistAI – explore how faith, emotion, professional services, politics and machine learning intersect.

WebInfluencers Digital is a continental movement redefining how Africa communicates, creates, and competes.

What is your vision for the future of PR, storytelling, and technology in Africa?

Africa’s next global advantage will come from how we tell our stories: intelligently, visually, and emotionally.

AI will not replace storytelling; it will amplify it. The challenge is to merge human authenticity with machine precision.

My dream is to see African storytellers, strategists, and creators lead the global creative economy using tools built from our data, values, and lived experiences.