Stakeholders in Nigeria’s integrated marketing communication (IMC) sector have emphasized the necessity for improved collaboration among various advertising sub-sectors and regulators.
They believe that such collaboration is crucial for achieving the desired growth in the industry, enabling it to make significant contributions to the nation’s economy.
The stakeholders, comprising members of the Out–of–Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), and the Lagos State’s outdoor regulatory agency, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), made the call recently, in Lagos, at this year’s Health Walk, organised by OAAN, in collaboration with MIPAN, to mark the World Health Day.
Speaking with the media at the end of the walk, which saw participants trek more than 3kilometres from Lagos Television in Agidingbi to Police College in Ikeja, the President of OAAN, Mr. Sola Akinsiku stated that besides enhancing the health of practitioners, the program was also designed to further enhance the camaraderie existing among practitioners.
He stated that this year’s edition of the program held so much significance for the organisers since it was able to attract members of staff of LASAA the state’s outdoor regulatory agency.
“We believe it is a sign of better things to come. LASAA is our landlord, and by having them here today simply means the relationship between us and the regulatory agency is improving by the day.
“While we need very good health to achieve whatever we set out to achieve, we also must know that we need better understanding between we practitioners, and an enhanced bonding with the regulators to grow the industry. Interestingly this fitness walk provides us with the platform to achieve these objectives,” he stated.
In his remarks, Group Executive Director, Media Investments at OMG WeCa Nigeria, and an Exco member of MIPAN, Yinka Adebayo, explained that the exercise stemmed from the need to maintain a work-life balance.
He noted that since practitioners are always engaged, the annual fitness walk draws its significance from the fact that it provides practitioners with the rare opportunity to engage in healthy exercise that will keep them alive.
“The type of work we do is such that you can even forget yourself. It is only what you take in that you can give out, and exercise is one of those things that you can do to stay alive. And it is only when you are alive that you can go for those big businesses that you are aiming for,” he stated.
He added that the partnership with OAAN demonstrated the essence of collaboration; since the exercise had provided the opportunity for the two associations to network and socialize.
Assistant General Manager, LASAA, Bolade Otukoya, commended the two associations for organizing the event, noting that it provided participants the opportunity to bonding and networking.
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