Most successful personalities and corporate organisations reach their peak and win public admiration due to the outcome of their actions and reports made on them. Behind the scene of those success stories are the image merchants who work out the script to fashion out their reputation.

Public relations practitioners play major roles towards creating positive perception of individuals and organisations whether in the public service or the private sector of the economy.

Nigeria has some of the best trained and talented PR practitioners and agencies who have successfully managed image of their principals and clients. The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) is a regulatory body for the practice in the country. One of its arms is the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), a prestigious group for agencies and firms responsible for laundering the image of corporate bodies and political groups.

Recently PRCAN held an election where it elected Dr. Phil Osagie as the new chairman. Apart from those in the Media/PR industry and to some extent major clients who could acknowledge the impact of this person and his PR agency in shaping PR practice in Nigeria, his name to others may be strange.

Born on November 2, 1957, Dr. Phil Osagie is the Head Strategist for JSP Corporate Communications, the exclusive associate of Hill & Knowlton, one of the world’s largest PR consultancies. Before establishing JSP Communication in 1994, he was the pioneer Chief Executive of the Quadrant Company, the first full fledged PR Consultancy in Nigeria. He has over the years developed strategies and successful PR campaigns for some of the world’s most admired brands such as NBC Coca-Cola, GSK, Cotecna, Intel, Microsoft,  FedEx/RedStar Express, Symantec, Notore, Africa-Re, etc.

A United Kingdom graduate of Communications, he holds a PG Diploma in marketing communications as well as a Doctorate in Business Management obtained at Washington International University. He has attended a number of professional courses and international seminars in Europe and America as well as given several trainings and facilitated numerous programmes on effective ways of Public Relations and branding to develop the industry.

He had working experiences in the public and private sectors. He was PRO Kano Sports Council 1981-1982; Special Correspondent Democrat Newspapers, Kaduna 1982-1985; PR Manager Insight Communications, Lagos 1985-1990 and General Manager/Executive Director, the Quadrant PR Company, Lagos 1990-1994 before he became CEO/Head Consultant of JSP Corporate Communications 1994 to date.

Dr. Osagie has distinguished himself in various places. A recipient of Marble Plaque of honour for outstanding work in the Children’s Ministry of Lagos Christian Church, he received best results in Communications Statistics in all High Institutions in Scotland UK 1980 and also an award for best employee at Aberdeen Holiday Inn, Scotland UK in 1982. For exhibiting exemplary leadership qualities in his chosen profession, he was honoured by Newswatch Magazine as one of the top 40 Business leaders in Nigeria followed by that of Vanguard Newspaper in 1999. He has also received special invitations to global events. For instance he was the first African to undergo a month understudy of the Rowland PR Company London and the only African to attend the Leadership Forum organized by The Economist, London in 2003.

On personal recognition, President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 included him among the members in the Private Sector Special Committee against H.I.V. He has been a PR consultant to World Business Forum in New York and PR consultant to Academic Association for Surgeons, International Conference (AAS) among other notable institutions.

With him on the helm of affairs at JSP, the agency has developed capabilities to handle PR programmes in the West African, sub-region. The firm is also making plans to expand into North America with a specialist African offering.

Married with three children, the new president of PRCAN believes that the key in managing reputation is to first ensure the organization is sincere and value driven. According to him communicators must first do well before they can communicate it because, as he says: “you can only carve fine art out of good wood.”