The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, has inducted the the Director General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, the Oba of Egbin Kingdom, Alaiyeoluwa Oba (Dr.) Adeoriyomi Oluwasesan Abdul-Akeem Oyebo and 36 other outstanding professionals in the advertising ecosystem as fellows, the highest category of membership of the profession.
The new fellows were inducted on November 24,, 2023 at Lagos Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja Lagos. The capacity filled event had the crème de la crème of the marketing communications ecosystem including two past Registrars/CEO of ARCON (then APCON), Dr. Josef Bel-Molokw, frpa, and Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi, frpa; past President of AAAN, Mrs. BUnmi Oke. frpa; Chairman, OAAN Board of Trustees, Dr. Charles Azubuike Chijide, frpa; sectoral heads, other fellows of the advertising profession, among others.
mong others inducted are top management staff of ARCON, the Director, Registration and Career Matters, Joe Eugene Onuoha; past President of EXMAN, Adetunji Adedayo Adeyinka;- past Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Nigeria Plc and current Chairman/Group CEO of Ogilvy Nigeria and Algorithm Media, Otunba Owoseni Dolapo Adetu; a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. John Aniekan Umanah and Dr. Evelyn Irekpitan Nwosu, the acting Zonal Director, NTA Port Harcourt Network Centre.
In his speech at the event, the Director General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, also an inducted, welcomed everyone and vouched for the integrity and professional expertise of all the inductees, having worked with them in one capacity or the other.
His citation was read first and he was administered the Oath of Practice and inducted before other inductees by the Director of Enforcement & Regulation of ARCON, Martha Onyebuchi, frpa.
Thereafter the citations of other inductees were read while the ARCON boss administered the Oath of Practice and inducted them. Each new fellow was then decorated and given the paraphernalia of his/her new status – ribbon, certificate and plaque.
Commenting on his induction as a fellow of the profession, one of the inductees, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye said he felt accomplished and fulfilled, noting that the new status challenges him to do more for the industry
While congratulating and welcoming the new fellows into the highest category of membership of the advertising profession, Dr. Joseph Bel Molokwu, frpa, a past Registrar of ARCON, said the status which they have attained comes with corresponding responsibilities, principal of which is to ensure that the advertising and marketing communications industry in Nigeria excels in practice and profession as well as making impact globally as ambassadors of the profession.
He advised the new fellows to always be dressed in their regalia when attending important events of the council.
“For you coming in please make it a point of duty to come with your ribbon, tag in every major outing of ARCON.”
Dr. Molokwu observed that the senior fellows had a failing in displaying their status as fellows at ARCON events.
“We the fellows who have been there at times have our own little failings without knowing. None of us, including myself, came in our regalia. And this is just an ideal occasion, the perfect occasion, to dress as fellows. So let us keep that in mind and see this as a wakeup call for us that in every major outing of ARCON we should come in our regalia. I was just imaging how picturesque today would be if we all came out in our regalia.
Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, past president of EXMAN and one of the newly inducted fellows, while responding on behalf of all the new fellows, thanked ARCON for deeming them fit to be inducted and expressed confidence that the new fellows will live up to expectations.
“I am bold to say these fellows will carry the flag of the profession very high - in practice, in ethics, and in mentoring the next generation. And I can assure these fellows will not disappoint.
He also thanked the Screening Committee for the diligent work and ARCON’s commitment to professional development.
Adeyinka who is also the chairman of Planning Committee of the 2023 National Advertising Conference reminded those present at the event of the forth coming National Advertising Conference scheduled for December 6 to 8, 2023 in Abuja.
“Every profession has its body of knowledge and has its mode of operations. For us the National Advertising Conference is our own United Nations General Assembly. And I am hoping that the newly inducted fellows and those who are senior fellows will register if you have registered and attend the conference. Go to www.nationaladvertisingconference.com and there you can register.”
He gave a snippet on what is expected at the conference.
“It is loaded. We have over 32 speakers who have already signified their interests to speak. Among the major issues to be discussed are Brand Nigeria Campaign, creating a campaign for brand Nigeria from an industry point of view, the contribution of the industry to the economy and how the industry can partake in the African Free Trade programme. And we also have an award for companies and agencies that have been diligent in terms of vetting protocol in the past year, the ASP Award,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of the Fellowship Selection Committee, Chief Emmanuel Ajufo,, frpa, explained that the screening followed due process and was based on laid-down criteria and terms of reference set by the Council.
“We received a total of 45 applications and 38 were considered and recommended for elevation into the prestigious fellowship status. Unfortunately, we have seven unsuccessful applicants.”
Goodwill messages were delivered by industry associations’ presidents, beginning with Mr. Jenkins Alumona, vice present of AAAN, who represented Mr. Steve Babaeko, the president of the AAAN. Other sectoral heads that delivered goodwill messages were Mr. Emeka Chris Okeke, frpa, who stood in for president of MIPAN, Femi Adelusi, the president of OAAN, Sola Akinsiku and president of EXMAN, Tolulope Medebem, rpa, representative of the president of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Idy Enang, the president and chairman of council of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN)
Fellowship of the advertising profession is he highest status of membership of the profession. It is conferred on practitioners who have been registered as full members of the profession and have, in addition, met other criteria as well as impacted significantly the development of the profession. The criteria include good academic qualification, consistent engagement in the practice of marketing communications for a minimum of fifteen years, involvement in the management of outstanding marketing communications campaigns, service to the profession at the level of ARCON Governing Council or industry sectoral associations, intellectual or professional expressions, membership of endowments, among others.
Other new fellows
Other distinguished advertising practitioners that were inducted as Fellows include Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, he Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NTA, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf Yakasai, the MD/CEO of Sharp Edge Marketing Communications Litd.; Adeyemi Philip Adesanya, the GMD of Media Proximity; Engr. Joseph Nwanne Anasiudu, the CEO of Joeycash Engineering and Competitive Media Limited; Chidindu Charity Ibiam, the General Manager of OAAN; Adewale Adepitan, the GMD of 360 Degrees Communications; Olufolahan Adisa Onifade, the General Manager of Ogun State Signage and Advertisement Agency; Yusuf Mu’azu. Sule Ya’u Sule, Senior Lecturer, Department of Communications, BUK; and Chris Okwudili Ndibe, the CEO of Carlcon Group; and Durojaiye Bamijoko Okupe, the founder and co-founder of Soulsight Nigeria and HDI Youth Movement.
Also on the list are Adetunji Adedayo Adeyinka, the GMD of thr Republicom Group; Dr. Kadiri Kehinde Khadijat, HOD, Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin; Olushola Adeniyi Adegborioye, co-founder of Creativexone; Inyang Ime Okon, Chairman of XL Communications Limited; Joshua Oluwasegun Akinbanjo, Faculty in School of Media & Communication, Pan African University; David Ohifueme Akharume, the MD of Torydoes Nigeria Limited; Chinwike Onwuchekwa, founder of Magicbrush Studios Limited; Chinedu Ethel Igboeche, the Lead Consultant, Wiet links Limited; Sir Mbanugo Michael Anike, MD/CEO of BNW Consult; Jude Okechukwu Emecheta, a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Anambra State on Administration; and Dr. Lauratu Umar Abdulsalam, Consultant to the British Council and EU funded Peace and Security programmes in Nigeria as well as Lecturer in the Mass Communication Department, University of Abuja,
Otuba Abiodun Olasukanmi Ajiboye, the Founder of the Logica Communications Group and served an various media campaings of the APC between 2015 and 2023; Samuel Bamidele Ayetutu, Doctoral Research Student at babcock University; Michael Tunde Kajagbola, the CEO of G&M Associates; Adewubmi Abayomi Adedoyin, MD/CEO of Creativexone; Alhaji Lawal Danladi Yaro, President/CEO of Ikad Nigeria Limited; Emiesiefa James Agama, a doctoral candidate of Management at Nile University, Abuja; Hauwa Margaret Nimyel, the Operational Head of NTA Marketing Directorate; Sir Solomon Akugha, the Founder/CEO of Artsterix Limited; Maureen Aniekan Umanah, the MD of Premium 89.9fm and Executive Options Media; and Faruk Umar Usman, the MD/CEO of Waves Studio, Kano were also among those elevated to the prestigious grade of Fellows of the advertising profession.
