About Me
Funmi Ajala
Oluwafunmilayo Ajala is an experienced PR and Communication strategist with a decade of experience in Corporate, Digital and Political Communications. With a strong function in Corporate, Digital and Political Communications. With a strong function in creating communication strategies that positively influence policies, brand awareness and brand identity, she has consistently delivered exceptional results.
Developing expertise in creating and implementing communications strategy over many years, Funmi works primarily with principals in government and organisations in diverse fields to strategically leverage the power of communications.
Funmi’s expertise encompasses stakeholder management, strategy planning, policy implementation, content marketing and government relations by integrating 360-degree communication strategies.
Professional Experience
She has successfully executed projects for the Government of Ekiti State, the Ford Foundation, the Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum (NGWF), the Ministry of Education (Government of Ekiti State), ITrain Africa, Pharus Training UK, and other reputable organisations.
Until October 2022, Funmi served as the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Public Affairs) to the former First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, where she played pivotal roles in all projects emanating from the Office of the First Lady. She also played an essential role in implementing the anti-GBV project in partnership with the Ford Foundation in Ekiti State. She also worked with the Nigeria Governor’s Wives Forum (NGWF) on their content and branding.
Funmi orchestrated different storytelling projects and campaigns involving the girl child, the elderly, women and the less vulnerable in society. More important is handling all the First Lady’s social media and digital media assets, thus ensuring a 95% crisis-free period in office.
In this role, Funmi was the editor of Erelu at Work, a quarterly magazine of the Office of the First Lady, and Producer of Itan Arugbo and Ounje Arugbo documentary (visual storytelling projects on the elderly and the food bank).
Before her role in the Office of the First Lady, Funmi served as the Senior Technical Assistant (Digital Media) to the Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, where she pioneered an innovative and comprehensive digital communication roadmap, which propelled Ekiti State Government’s online presence to unparallel heights across diverse channels. Funmi’s innovative communication strategies propelled the state’s online presence and meticulously planned content to build online communities and engage stakeholders globally.
Under her leadership, Ekiti State emerged as the 2014 Alder Top Social Media Brand winner in the Social Media Icon Government category and the best state government website in Nigeria by the Nigerian Governors Forum in 2013.
Earlier in her career, Funmi led the online team at 234next.com, the online arm of NEXT newspaper —her exceptional skills in combining offline and online content led to her rapid rise within the newsroom. Funmi’s leadership and vision increased social media followership by 50% within a month of implementing a crafted social media framework strategy. 234next.com went on to be the go-to news website in Nigeria for authentic engagement.
Throughout her career, Funmi has executed numerous public affairs communication and campaign projects and handled crisis communication, demonstrating her dedication to excellence. Her storytelling abilities, honed through journalism experience and study, have positioned her as a prominent figure in political communication.
She holds a Master’s in Corporate and Marketing Communications from IE Business School, Madrid, Spain, and a PGD in Journalism from Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.
Funmi is a Fellow of the International Institute of Journalism (IIJ Inwent), Germany, and assistant editor of the book “Future Tense: Travails of Next and Nigerian Journalism in the Digital Age”.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Funmi loves to travel and channels her creativity and visual storytelling talents through photography and videography combined with writing about the places she has been, the culture and the people in the blog section. She is passionate about giving back to her community and impacting others. She actively engages in initiatives aimed at developing and empowering individuals.
