By Peter Martey Agbeko, APR
It began with a signature. Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah needed a paid-up member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) to endorse her candidacy for a seat on the IPRA Board. I was that member. Our professional paths intersected. Since then, what a journey it has been.
Esther Cobbah, the current President of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana, is no ordinary communications professional. She is a force of nature—visionary, tireless, and passionate. She and I have both served as judges on the prestigious IPRA Golden World Awards (GWA), the annual global event that celebrates excellence in public relations. While I have been on the panel for the past five years, Esther’s tenure precedes mine significantly—an indication of the trust and respect she commands globally.
Our shared IPRA journey has only deepened my admiration for her. Esther’s membership of the IPRA Board is a well-deserved recognition of her vast experience and sterling contributions to the field. She is, quite frankly, soaring. And the sky—bold, wide, and limitless—seems just the right place for her ambition, talent, and work ethic.
Closer to home, I have the honour of serving with her on the Governing Council of the IPR Ghana. I chair the International Relations Committee, and she is one of the two other members alongside Ms. Ivy Heward-Mills. Ours is a small but potent team, united by a shared commitment to elevating the standing of Ghana’s PR practice on the global stage.
But long before our committee work or shared judging duties, Esther had already established a transformative legacy through the Strategic Communications Africa Ltd (Stratcomm Africa) – the total communications and reputation management agency she founded three decades ago. Stratcomm Africa, which has been celebrating its 30th anniversary this past year, has been much more than a consultancy. It has been a nursery of ideas, a classroom for lifelong learning, and a launchpad for countless PR professionals who are now making waves both locally and globally.
On May 16, 2025, the Stratcomm Africa family will host a Homecoming. It promises to be a grand and emotional gathering—alumni, affiliates, and admirers all returning to pay tribute to the house that Esther built. A house built not just on strategy and skills, but on values: integrity, excellence, and service.
Esther Cobbah is a woman of conviction and quiet strength. Her approach to communication is not just strategic—it is humane. She listens. She reflects. She engages. And she delivers.
She remains a study in energy and grace. It is hard to imagine that she is approaching the Biblical “three score and ten.” She works with the enthusiasm of a fresh graduate and the wisdom of a sage.
So as Stratcomm Africa has just gone from 30 to 31, I join many others in saluting Esther Cobbah—mentor, colleague, friend, and trailblazer. May the good Lord continue to guide her, bless her efforts, and sustain the enduring impact of Stratcomm Africa. For those of us privileged to walk even a part of this journey with her, the lessons are lifelong.
Esther once said, “Since our establishment 30 years ago, Stratcomm Africa has consistently stayed abreast with the evolution of the communication industry.” That staying power, that adaptability, that relevance—these are the hallmarks of great leadership.
Esther Cobbah is not just staying the course. She is setting it.
