As Algorithm Media marks its 10th anniversary, Group CEO of First Primus, Seni Adetu, reveals the company’s unique approach to welfare and corporate governance, where employees don’t just belong but feel like true citizens of a thriving nation.
At the heart of Algorithm Media’s success is an unwavering focus on its people. “A lot of times, especially when you talk to CEOs, all that they talk about is numbers, performance. Sometimes leaders forget that it’s actually people who deliver the numbers. At Algorithm Media, the subjects of talent management, people welfare, and other related issues are very big deals for us,” Adetu explains.
This commitment to people isn’t just lip service—it’s a legacy built on a decade of consistency and care. “I repeatedly tell people that even though during our 10 years of existence there was COVID and recession, but there was not a single month in those 10 years that we couldn’t pay salaries. Not a single month. In fact, in addition to saying we never missed a single month, there was never a month we said we are shifting it from the day we normally pay to another day.”
Adetu takes pride in this reliability, adding, “Everybody in the organization knows what day they expect their salaries. We have never told them, ‘Sorry, we can’t do Friday, we’ll pay salaries next week, or please you’ll be paid next week Monday. And I think in the context of the last 10 years, this is something that is worthy of note. So we’re very pleased with that, because people matter to us a lot,” he concluded. This he said underscores why Algorithm Media remains not just a company, but a community where every team member is truly at home.
For Adetu, the sense of belonging isn’t just a metaphor, it goes so much deeper, it’s a guiding principle at Algorithm Media. He continues, “We are very focused on how we got here, that’s why we focus on making sure that people feel so comfortable here, they want to be citizens. You know, if you’re a citizen of Nigeria, you don’t leave. There’s this thing called a Nigerian passport that makes people citizens of Nigeria. Just by having that, you are a citizen of Nigeria; you don’t have a choice, you are stuck in Nigeria. In summary, we make people citizens of Algorithm Media,” Adetu concluded.
But citizenship, Adetu emphasized, comes with responsibility and trust. Shifting focus to corporate governance and transparency, he asserted, “For instance, we say to our clients, at the shortest notice, they can come in and audit our processes, audit our books, just check whether we’re doing the right thing.”
Adetu acknowledged the industry’s historical challenges with compliance and reputation, but made it clear that Algorithm Media operates differently. “One of the challenges the industry had previously, and maybe it still exists to some extent, is the reputation of compliance issues here and there. But what we stand for, and encourage our clients to do, is to check us out, come audit our books. If they come, they may come in and audit it and they’re finding us clear. That’s what I call governance.”
As the conversation turned to the future, Adetu’s tone brimmed with optimism and innovation. Drawing the curtains with a focus on the theme “Beyond the Rise”, he promised that Algorithm Media’s ambitions extend far beyond traditional media growth. “We’ll unveil the new things that we’re doing, but a lot of focus will be on innovation, technology, and creating new things. We’re going to try to lead the conversation around scaling industrial processes.”
With a clear commitment to people progress, governance and an eye on the future, Adetu signaled that Algorithm Media is poised not just to participate in the industry’s next chapter, but to write it.
