By Henry Obetta

Head of Brands and Marketing Communications at Wema Bank Plc, Mabel Adeteye, has been appointed a jury member for the 2026 SABRE Awards Africa, a leading platform that recognises excellence in public relations, reputation management and strategic communications.

Her appointment comes amid growing recognition of Africa’s increasing influence in global communications practice, as the public relations landscape across the continent continues to shift toward more strategy-driven and impact-focused engagement.

As part of a panel of senior communications professionals in agencies across Africa, Adeteye will assess entries based on strategic insight, innovation, effectiveness and their overall contribution to advancing industry standards.

Speaking on her appointment, Adeteye described the opportunity as a significant professional responsibility, given the global reputation of the awards within the communications industry.

According to her, the SABRE Awards remain one of the most respected benchmarks for strategic communications worldwide, noting that the practice of communications in Africa is evolving beyond execution to strategic leadership that integrates cultural insight, business performance and societal impact.

She said: “Over the years, I have had the privilege of serving on different juries across communications and marketing platforms. Each experience comes with responsibility, but this one felt different. The SABRE Awards remain one of the most respected global benchmarks for strategic communications.
“African communications is evolving beyond execution into true strategic leadership where insight, culture, business outcomes and societal impact connect.”

Adeteye brings over 15 years of experience in brand strategy, corporate communications and stakeholder engagement, having led several high-impact communications initiatives at Wema Bank and other organisations.

Industry observers noted that her selection reflects the growing international recognition of African communications professionals as key contributors to global public relations excellence.

A member of the Forbes Communications Council, Adeteye specialises in strategic brand positioning, corporate reputation management, integrated media campaigns and stakeholder engagement across African and international markets.

She also holds professional accreditations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, CIPR (UK), the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, and the Chartered Institute of Marketing, CIM (UK).

The SABRE Awards, organised by PRovoke Media, honour outstanding achievements in strategic communications across Africa and globally, recognising campaigns that demonstrate creativity, measurable impact and strong business outcomes.

The 2026 SABRE Awards Africa ceremony is scheduled to hold on March 17 at Melrose Arch, South Africa, in partnership with the Public Relations and Communications Association, PRCA. More than 120 campaigns have been shortlisted from over 500 submissions spanning multiple industries and communication disciplines.