OAAN, MIPAN Team Up to Celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day, Advocate for Healthy Living
The Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) in collaboration with the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) on 5th of May organized a health walk in Lagos to commemorate the World Hand Hygiene Day and also promote the culture of healthy living among practitioners within the advertising industry.
Noteworthy, World Hand Hygiene Day is held annually on 5 May. The ‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ global campaign was launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009.
Speaking at the 2024 World Hand Hygiene Day with the theme, ‘Healthy Living’, the President Out-of -Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Mr. Sola Akinsiku said the programme is a collaborative effort aimed at promoting healthy living among practitioners in the advertising industry as well as to promote bonding among the important sectors of the advertising industry in Nigeria.
“It is in celebration of World Hand Hygiene Day and it’s important for us to also identify the global movement but more importantly, it is to encourage collaboration among the various sector of our industry.
Adding that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, Akinsiku encouraged individuals to maintain a healthy living, healthy lifestyle and take part in healthy activities that can help them being healthy and giving them the energy to go about their day to day activities.
He however urged the government at all levels to promote issues around health so as to have an healthy nation.
Mentioning the reason for the collaboration among the two organisations, he said the target is for the industry’s primary constituency which is the advertising industry and every individual, every persons that practices advertising and operates in the ecosystem is relevant.
On feedback of the event which was annual, OAAN President said members of the Association look forward to the event, adding that in years to come it could turn out to be a total industry programme, “because I am looking towards having others in the industry joining us and this I believe can make it global industry event.”
Also speaking at the e event, An Ex Officio of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Mr. Yinka Adebayo said the whole essence of the health walk is to show the essence of collaboration because the advertising sector is very competitive.
“We work in a competitive world where marketing is war but there is life outside the marketing and it is important we meet occasionally to interact, socialize and actually to know that there is life after the competitive battle of winning account.
“Equally is a way to encourage our members through work balance because the nature of our work can be strenuous and sometimes we forget ourselves but with exercise like this, we can be healthy and did to go about our daily jobs,” he explained.
The representative of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Bolade Otukoya said the initiative is a very good one adding that aside keeping fit, the event helps practitioners to socialize and also an opportunity for them to see their environment.
“Through this initiative it will help them to see structures around them and to be able to see what it is doing to the environment because in LASAA we are regulating the environment as in not allowing clusters and ensuring the billboards fits the landscape,” she explained.
Members of OAAN and MIPAN at the event expressed their excitement for an opportunity to bond and network during the exercise adding that it will create more cordial relationship in the Advertising industry.
World Hand Hygiene Day is marked by the World Health Organisation (WHO), annually with each year the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally.