“Spin Doctors to the Autocrats: How European PR Firms Whitewash Repressive Regimes”

A study issued by Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) on Tuesday suggests that the Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke and a close ally of the country’s President met with five PR agencies in London “to mount the European wing of the PR offensive.”

It is not clear which British firm received the contract, Levick, a Washington PR firm was reported earlier by Nigerian media as the US firm, vehemently opposed by Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Public Relations Consultant Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) whose voices cannot be confirmed to have been heeded by authorities in Nigeria.

Levick, prominent for lobbying in the US was named in a $1.2m contract to “change the international and local media narrative surrounding Nigeria’s efforts to find and safely return the girls abducted in Chibok, North East Nigeria.

The report cited Africa Confidential as saying that UK PR and Communications Agency Bell Pottinger is currently working alongside US election strategist Joe Trippi on Goodluck Jonathan’s election campaign