Tolucomms Prize For Tenacity Makes History As The First Cash-Backed Award For Young Founders In The IMC Industry

Pam Cordelia Nanna of MediaDelia Communications emerges inaugural Prize winner of ₦500,000 award presented at WIMCA

L-R: Mrs Tolulope Medebem, COO & Lead Consultant, AsterIML; Tolulope Olorundero, Founder & Executive Director, PRWF Global and Founder & Principal Consultant, Mosron Communications; Pam Cordelia Nanna’s representative, Ramat Babah Director, Treasury Ihs Tower, Joshua Ajayi, Publisher of Brand Communicator

Nigeria’s integrated marketing communications industry reached a significant milestone over the weekend with the presentation of the Tolucomms Prize for Tenacity at the Women in Marketing and Communications Awards (WIMCA). The prize, which comes with a ₦500,000 cash award, recognises outstanding resilience and entrepreneurial excellence among young female founders in the industry.

Beyond the cash prize, the winner will also receive media exposure valued at ₦1 million from Brand Communicator, one of Nigeria’s leading publications dedicated to the marketing communications profession, further amplifying the recipient’s visibility and impact within the industry.

Established by Tolulope Olorundero, Founder & Executive Director, PRWF Global and Founder & Principal Consultant, Mosron Communications, the Tolucomms Prize for Tenacity is an annual cash award created as part of her 40th birthday legacy initiatives. The cash award was presented to the winner, Pam Cordelia Nanna, Founder of MediaDelia Communications from Jos, Plateau State.

The prize is the first dedicated cash award in Nigeria’s integrated marketing communications industry, specifically focused on supporting female public relations agencies and consultancy founders. For the first time, the industry has witnessed a shift from traditional recognition to the provision of actual financial intervention for a woman building her business. The Tolucomms Prize for Tenacity introduces a different philosophy to professional recognition within the industry: recognition should also be capable of creating an opportunity for progress.

“This recognition means a great deal to me,” said Pam, in her acceptance note. “Building a PR and communications firm, particularly in a developing market like Jos, has come with its share of challenges, lessons, and moments that have tested my resolve. To have that journey acknowledged through this award is both humbling and encouraging.”

Applications for the Tolucomms Prize for Tenacity were independently reviewed by the Prize Selection Panel which was composed of representatives from Nigerian Women in Public Relations, The Comms Avenue and Brand Communicator, with WIMCA serving as the presenting partner.

Speaking on the choice of the winning application, the Chair of the Panel, President of Nigerian Women in Public Relations, Adaoha Njemanze said “What stood out to me about Pam is not just what she has built, but where and how she has built it. She has met every constraint with ingenuity, a sustainable pay model for her team, a social media presence rebuilt from scratch and repurposed as a virtual office and a consistent commitment to giving back through capacity-building events.” The choice of Pam as the winner was unanimous by all panel members.

On the rationale for creating Nigeria’s first cash-backed award in the integrated marketing communications industry, Olorundero explained that she wanted to provide tangible support to struggling business owners may be required more than mentorship and recognition to keep going. “There is data to show that female business owners have significantly less access to finance than their male peers. Add that to building a business in the service sector and that limited access becomes almost zero. Having built a PR business myself, I understand how difficult and frustrating it can be to keep one’s dream alive. So this prize is for that young woman who may not have the connections or the funds, but she has her dreams and I am saying to her: remain tenacious and steadfast. You can win if you do not give up!”

The Tolucomms Prize for Tenacity is an ongoing annual cash award for female PR agency or consultancy founders aged 35 or below who have demonstrated resilience in building their businesses, particularly through digital platforms.