Arit Effanga is a results-driven corporate communications executive and media strategist with over two decades of experience spanning broadcasting, public relations, and reputation management. After an extensive career in radio, television, and digital media, she transitioned into strategic communications and currently serves as the Head of Corporate Communications within the aviation sector. Recognized for her expertise in crisis communication, storytelling, and public positioning, Arit specializes in leveraging media influence to strengthen corporate brands and shape positive public perception.
Some corporate crises arrive like thunderstorms but others send warning flashes first. We simply ignore it.
In January 2025, Julius Berger apologised to the Nigerian Senate after repeatedly failing to honour invitations relating to an investigation into road projects. The company attributed the absence to miscommunication during a leadership transition.
Read that again. Mis-communication.
Two words capable of causing very expensive headaches.
In organisations, we sometimes imagine crisis management begins when the story appears in the newspaper. It doesn’t, it begins much earlier perhaps when an invitation is received but nobody owns it and when a small complaint is dismissed because “it is just one customer”.
That is how avoidable problems become public problems.
The uncomfortable truth is that Communications cannot always rescue a decision that was poorly managed upstream.
We can explain, clarify, engage, manage expectations but we cannot communicate our way out of every operational failure.
The strongest communication strategy therefore starts long before the press release.
It starts with clear responsibility, escalation, internal reporting, leadership and the simple question: “If this becomes public tomorrow, are we comfortable explaining what happened?”
If the answer is no, perhaps today is the best day to fix it.
Monday is a good day for that kind of reflection before the week gets busy and everybody forgets.
Because some reputational crises are not bad luck but missed opportunities to do the obvious thing early.
Sometimes, the best crisis communication is the crisis that never happened.
That is the kind of communication work I enjoy most: helping organisations spot the problem while it is still small enough to solve quietly.
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