AIC 2023: Advertising Stakeholders Set to Work with Schools to Bridge Knowledge Gap
L-R: Prof Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe State; Sunday Adejo Baba, Director of Public Communication and National Orientation, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture; Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director General, ARCON; Prof Nosa Oweris-Ibie, Chairman of the Occasion; Chief Route Commander Godwin Umweni, Head of Transport Standardization Organization represent Sector Commander FRSC Lagos Sector and Mr. Idorenyen Enang, Keynote Speaker/CEO Corporate Shepherd ltd. during the maiden edition of Advertising Industry Colloquium (AIC) held On Thursday 30th March 2023 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.
As part of an effort to bridge the wide gap between what is taught in school and what exists on the field, advertising stakeholders at the maiden Advertising Industry Colloquium (AIC) organized by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) have vowed to work with higher institutions in the country to close the gap.
The event was held at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, and was a meeting point of professionals in the academics and the advertising industry. It was also attended by government officials, lecturers, students, heads of sectorial groups, and prominent industry leaders from Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Experiential Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), and others.
The need for collaboration was reemphasized at the event while advertising agencies and marketing communication agencies were urged to periodically produce reports of their past campaigns done for clients to serve as case studies for schools to teach their students. They were also tasked to open their doors for lecturers to do their sabbaticals, attend school seminars, and among other submissions.
Declaring the event opened, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed represented by Mr. Sunday Baba, Director of Communication and Media, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture said “The convergence of the academia and core business practitioners will profitably motivate an industry like the advertising and marketing communications, especially the young generation whose talents and skills are at the early stage mixing what were taught in preparation for practice and the actual practice holds. The challenges could be audacious and the potentials enormous.”
He added that advertising contributes to economic growth, so its role in academics cannot be ignored.
“Advertising has come a very long way in contributing to and advancing the growth of Nigeria’s economy massively. The role of advertising in academics and the day-to-day cannot business activities cannot be neglected or underestimated by any economy that genuinely seeks to develop and sustain the development of her economic progress,” he pointed.
Director General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo explained that the colloquium was organised to boost stronger synergy and promote effectual congruence between academia and practitioners in the advertising and marketing communications industry.
In his words, “While we appreciate the contributions of academia to the body of knowledge, the sharpening of the skills set that makes up the body are also interrogated from time to time, to meet or exceed societal demands in line with best global practices”.
Delivering the keynote address on the theme, “Changing Trends in Advertising Education & Practice in the Era of Globalization: The Nigerian Perspective” the CEO, Corporate Shepherds Limited and the President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Idorenyen Enang urged those in charge of developing curriculum to prioritize the fundamental knowledge of marketing in their curriculum.
“Let’s give them that foundation. That foundation can only work if we build it from a competency framework,” he stated.
Some of the experts that spoke during the panel session are Dozie Okafor, Managing Director/CEO, PHD Nigeria; Emmanuel Agu, GMD, Jotna Nig. Ltd (The LaCasera Company); Tolulope Medebem, COO / Lead Consultant, Aster Integrated Marketing; Prof. Umar A. Pate, Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Kashere; and Barr. Charles Odenigbo, Director General, Centre for Media Law and Development.”
Steve Babaeko, President of AAAN and GCEO/CEO, X3M Ideas on his part said he was charged by the deliberation at the colloquium and by next year’s edition, his agency should be presenting the case stories of some of their works for clients to enable people in the academic to have something recent to reference as case studies while he urged other agencies to do same. He also revealed that his book will be published soon which shows his commitment to democratizing knowledge of advertising.
The event also had a Pitch Competition which was keenly contested among the participating Higher Institutions. It was judged by experts in the industry headed by Lanre Adisa, CEO, Noah’s Ark Communications who applauded the creativity and delivery of the students in successfully developing a marketing communications campaign for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
At the end of the pitch, the University of Ilorin clinched the first position and smiled home with a grand prize of one million naira. Lagos State University came second with a prize of seven hundred naira and Babcock University came third to win five hundred thousand naira.