Sahara Group Cultivates Future Storytellers at UNILAG #MADWITHCOMMS Forum

Leading global energy and infrastructure conglomerate, Sahara Group reinforced its dedication to nurturing future communication leaders, emphasizing the human advantage over AI at the #MADWITHCOMMS forum at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).

#MADWITHCCOMMS which is short for “Making A Difference with Communications” is a Sahara Group thought leadership initiative geared towards supporting, steering and shaping young professionals for impactful careers in communications. 

This year’s theme, “Code vs. Conversation: The Human Edge in a Digital World,” challenged Mass Communication students at UNILAG to develop and deepen their indispensable advantage human skills, while leveraging unfolding technological advancements.

Sharing insights on the theme,  Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications at Sahara Group, said it was imperative for comms professionals to master AI as a tool for efficiency, data, and insight, but layer over these, their unique human capabilities.

Obioma noted that contextual interpretation, emotional intelligence, ethical judgment, and empathetic communication, among others, provide the human advantage that can be the “career differentiator”.

“Within minutes, you can input some prompts and AI can help you access historical data, generate reports, and insights that inform compelling narratives. But communication is much more than data. Everyone is looking to you for the human touch that will make your output genuine, unique and impactful,” he said.

He emphasized that rather than seeing AI as a threat, young professionals should embrace it as a tool that enhances but does not replace the human edge. “Your ability to interpret context, understand nuances, feel the emotion behind stories, and communicate with empathy is what will set you apart,” he added. “If you can harness this human advantage, you will not only make a difference, you will also ascend beyond the zenith of your career.”

The event featured engaging breakout sessions where participants were grouped into teams to examine case studies in media ethics, crisis management, advertising biases, and responsible AI implementation. They were tasked with identifying flaws in the sample materials and propose versions that emphasized ethical, creative and engaging storytelling, and most importantly, the human edge.

The students’ presentations were assessed by a panel comprising Obioma, Ejiro Gray, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group; and Felix Ofulue, Head, Corporate Communications, Egbin Power Plc, a Sahara Power Group company.

Following the group presentations, winners were rewarded with cash prizes, with further commentary from the panel on how to improve their application of the human advantage in communications.

Participants expressed their delight at the #MADWITHCOMMS initiative, urging Sahara Group to host more learning activities at the prestigious university. Eniola Doherty said, “though we could see the role of AI in gathering data for the presentation in my group, the human edge was critical in helping us transform our presentation.”

Abimbola Adelakun, added that the session had made her confident to adopt the obvious benefit of AI “I have come to realise that AI is a tool and not something I should fear. It can give me the data that I need but it is left to me to humanize my story for greater impact.” For  

Wisdom Udo, the key to making a difference is to “infuse my human touch which leaves an unmistakable imprint on the story.”

In closing, Obioma said the #MADWITHCOMMS initiative would be expanded to reach more young professionals across Africa, adding, “We believe in equipping future storytellers with not just the tools, but the right mindset to drive impact, shape narratives, and fuel transformation.”