Odiri Erewa-Meggison, who serves as the director of corporate and regulatory affairs for British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in West and Central Africa, has been honoured with the Outstanding Corporate and Brands Communications Personality of the Decade award. This accolade highlights her exceptional leadership in advancing strategic communication and sustainability initiatives within Nigeria’s corporate sector.
Presented by Marketing Edge Publications Limited, a prominent marketing and advertising media house, this award acknowledges her outstanding professional achievements, entrepreneurial spirit, and enduring influence in the fields of marketing communications and regulatory affairs.
With a background as a lawyer and chartered secretary, Erewa-Meggison earned a master’s degree with honours in International Relations from the University of Kent, Canterbury. She brings over 20 years of diverse experience spanning the oil and gas, telecommunications, and manufacturing industries.
Since joining BATNF in 2006 as a mid-career professional, she has progressively advanced to senior leadership roles within the organisation and its international branches.
Her career trajectory includes positions such as head of Government Affairs for West Africa, director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs for West and Central Africa, and head of Marketing Legal at BATNF Indonesia.
Additionally, she held the roles of senior regulatory special projects manager and senior regional external engagement and campaign manager for the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa, operating out of Indonesia.
Upon her return to Nigeria in 2021, Erewa-Meggison took charge of the company’s external engagement and sustainability efforts, ensuring alignment of local operations with global objectives across five strategic pillars: tobacco harm reduction, climate action, biodiversity, circular economy, and community development.
At the recent award event in Lagos, she expressed heartfelt appreciation to Marketing Edge and her team, describing the recognition as both inspiring and humbling.
“Receiving the Outstanding Corporate and Brands Communications Personality of the Decade award is a profound honour,” Erewa-Meggison remarked. “It underscores the importance of intentional and transparent communication in today’s corporate environment. At BAT, we are dedicated to responsible engagement, fostering trust with our stakeholders, and playing a constructive role in Nigeria’s sustainable progress.”
This accolade arrives amid a transformative period in Nigerian corporate communications, where sustainability, reputation management, and stakeholder engagement are becoming increasingly pivotal.
Under her stewardship, the foundation has emerged as a leader in sustainability reporting and corporate responsibility.
Experts in the industry view her award as emblematic of a wider evolution in Nigeria’s business landscape, where communication executives are now integral to shaping corporate strategy, enhancing impact, and building public trust.
Marketing Edge describes the award as a tribute to “visionaries who have set new standards of excellence and influence in Nigeria’s marketing and corporate communications sector over the past ten years.”
They further highlight that Erewa-Meggison’s contributions represent a modern model of corporate leadership-one that harmonizes commercial acumen, policy advocacy, and a strong commitment to purpose-driven work.