Odion Aleobua

Odion Aleobua is a leading voice in strategic communications and the CEO of Creato Urban, a Pan-African communications firm known for shaping high-impact narratives across business, policy, and culture. With over 20 years of experience across Africa and global markets, he is known for connecting communications to business results and making PR a key driver of growth and influence. A recognised industry voice, Odion is a professional member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR, UK), and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). Experience & Leadership Scope Odion’s career spans high-impact leadership roles across multinational corporations and fast-scaling African enterprises: • Led Public Relations, Media Strategy, and Investor Relations for Oando Group, managing communications across three continents and interfacing with the Nigerian, Johannesburg, and Toronto Stock Exchanges. • Served as Head, Brand & Corporate Communications at Forte Oil Plc (now Ardova PLC), where he drove enterprise-wide brand transformation, strategic repositioning, and measurable business impact. • Brings deep cross-sector expertise spanning Energy, Financial Services, Governance & Policy, Mobility, Aviation, Technology, and Renewables—advising multi-million-dollar organisations operating in complex and evolving markets. • Played a defining role in advancing industry thought leadership, including leading the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations- NIPR’s organisation of the first Lagos PR Week and heading the Innovation Committee for the maiden Nigeria PR Week conference. • Convener, Insurance Meets Tech (IMT), widely regarded as West Africa’s leading platform for converging thought-leaders, innovators, young professionals, influencers, and creators to discuss risk management, insurance, technology, and innovation, now in its 5th edition. As Founder of Creato Urban, he has built one of Africa’s most respected communications firms, known for delivering insight-led, commercially grounded campaigns that connect narrative to measurable outcomes across multiple markets. Key Achievements • Led Creato Urban to consecutive wins at the globally recognised SABRE Awards, including a Platinum “Best in Show”—the first ever by a Nigerian agency. • Named among The Industry Awards (2025): Top 50 Men of Impact – Strategic Communications. • Drove a 1000%+ increase in key marketing performance metrics during his tenure at Forte Oil Plc. • Successfully led the high-stakes rebranding from African Petroleum (AP) to Forte Oil, delivering full-scale change management and stakeholder alignment at the enterprise level. • Named PR Personality of the Year (2017) by Marketing Edge. • Awarded LAPRIGA Rising Practitioner of the Year (2019) by NIPR. Career Milestones & Industry Influence • Served as a jury member for the SABRE Awards, contributing to global standards in communications excellence. • Recipient of the GCEO Awards at Oando Plc for five consecutive years, recognising sustained leadership impact and performance. • Built and scaled Creato Urban into a Pan-African communications firm advising organisations at the intersection of business, policy, and culture. • Trusted advisor to C-suite executives on reputation management, crisis navigation, and communications transformation in high-stakes environments. • Alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Nigeria, and Lagos Business School.