BOOK REVIEW: AI is Reshaping PR—Celestine Achi Shows Us How
By Kabir Abdulsalam,
At the 2024 National Spokespersons Summit in Abuja, organized by Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in partnership with Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency, a focused silence settled over the room as Celestine Achi took the stage to speak on “Artificial Intelligence Tools for Spokespersons.”
With calm confidence and contagious energy, he unpacked the future of public relations—not as some distant reality, but as a revolution already reshaping how we communicate.
His clarity, presence, and conviction were unforgettable. He didn’t just speak; he sparked something.
That moment lit a fire in me. As a PR professional increasingly drawn to the evolving intersection between technology and communication, I knew I had to go deeper.
On May 21, 2025, Mr. Achi launched a groundbreaking multi-platform initiative—a bold fusion of a transformational book, a gamified learning tool, a diagnostic model, and an AI implementation framework.
Together, these offerings aim to equip the next generation of communicators with the knowledge, mindset, and tools to thrive in an AI-driven world.
The book, “AI-Powered PR: The Essential Guide for Communications Leaders to Master Artificial Intelligence”, is the cornerstone of that initiative. Both a strategic manual and a day-to-day desk companion, it brims with real-world case studies, practical prompts, templates, toolkits, and workflow guides that help readers integrate AI into content creation, media intelligence, stakeholder engagement, and sentiment analysis.
The 538 pages book, isn’t just a book—it’s a roadmap.
The author, a celebrated PR tech professional, digital transformation advocate, and AI enthusiast, delivers a 538-page guide that is more than just a book, it is a roadmap for the future of public relations in a tech-driven world.
Achi, a celebrated PR tech professional, digital transformation advocate, and AI enthusiast, brings to this work the wisdom of years in the field and the vision of someone determined to shape the future of communication, especially from the Global South.
Soon after its release, he visited the PRNigeria Centre in Abuja—home to Image Merchants Promotion Ltd., publishers of PRNigeria, Economic Confidential, and Spokespersons Digest—as part of his media outreach tour.
During his visit, Achi demonstrated several AI tools in real time and generously donated five copies of the book. I was fortunate to pick the first one, and reading it has transformed the way I think about PR strategy and execution.
This is no dry academic tome. It’s visionary, yet grounded—equally suited for media aides, corporate strategists, students of mass communication, and anyone who tells stories professionally. Achi speaks our language, offering practical insight without ever compromising depth.
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Structured across 15 rich chapters, the book opens with a gripping overview titled, “The AI Revolution in Public Relations,” which sets the tone for what follows.
From there, readers are taken through engaging and accessible modules on AI fundamentals (Chapter 2), ethical concerns and risks (Chapter 3), digital content creation, media outreach, crisis communication, and more.
Chapter 12—“Tools and Platforms: The AI PR Tech Stack”—stands out. Here, Achi demystifies platforms like ChatGPT, sentiment analysis tools, and even homegrown innovations such as VoxPR, Nigeria’s AI-powered media intelligence solution.
He not only introduces the tools, but shows us how to use them with strategy and purpose.
Throughout the book, Achi masterfully marries global best practices with local realities. He doesn’t shy away from Africa’s unique challenges—from infrastructure deficits to limited datasets—but instead invites communicators on the continent to leapfrog by adopting AI smartly, ethically, and creatively.
Chapter 13 brings the learning to life with detailed case studies from institutions like the National Orientation Agency of Nigeria (NOA), Cihan Media, USAGM/VOA West Africa, and FleishmanHillard.
These examples show how AI is already helping to streamline public communication, monitor media narratives, and personalize outreach at scale.
Dr. Ike Neliaku, FNIPR, in his foreword, rightly frames Achi’s book as both a reflection and a projection—capturing where the PR industry is today and where it must go.
Importantly, “AI-Powered PR” isn’t swept away by the hype. Achi grounds his enthusiasm in responsibility. Chapters on ethics, governance, and the human role in AI emphasize the need for transparency, credibility, and the irreplaceable value of human creativity.
That balance—between innovation and integrity—is one of the book’s greatest virtues.
The final chapters are a rallying cry: Build AI-ready communication teams. Embrace data-driven evaluation. And never stop learning in a world that’s evolving by the minute.
When PRNigeria’s founder, Yushau Shuaib, described the book as an “invaluable resource” that favours practice over theory, he captured its essence. In a world where communication professionals are expected to do more with less—and to do it smarter, faster, and with greater trust—”AI-Powered PR” is not just relevant. It is essential.
It is the kind of guide you don’t just read. You return to it. You apply it. You build with it.
Celestine Achi’s message is clear: AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to empower us. And this book doesn’t just prepare you for the future of public relations—it positions you to lead it.
Whether you’re in Lagos or London, Nairobi or New York, if you work in PR, communications, or media, “AI-Powered PR” belongs on your shelf—and in your hands.
Kabir Abdulsalam is with Spokespersons Digest and can be reached via: [email protected].
