APCON, stakeholders promise support for Nigeria’s first media academy

The apex regulator in the nation’s advertising space, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has commended the management of Alphabet Media Academy (AMA), on its newly-introduced  media academy that will take care of yawning gaps in the nation’s  media management space.

Speaking at the launch of the  first media academy in West Africa, in Lagos, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of APCON, Alhaji Bello Kankarofi, stated that  such interventions had become imperative, since the nation’s media space had continued to experience a slide  in fortune in the past few years.

He attributed the vast tombstones of media organisations in the country, in the past few years, to lack of knowledge and professionalism among those saddled with the responsibilities of managing such outfits.

“Many stations have died and many are still dying. They are dying simply because the professionalism and knowledge, expected of them, are not just in those saddled with the responsibilities of managing the stations.

He however,  expressed the belief that the advent of  AMA would go a long way in solving some of those obvious media management gaps, in the industry.

Introducing AMA to stakeholders, in the integrated marketing communication space,  in Lagos, the Dean of the Academy and former Registrar/CEO of APCON Dr. Josef Bel-Molokwu explained that the launch of the academy was informed by the need to  solve dearth of professionals and young executives in media management industry in Nigeria.

According to him, the academy would  provide a post -graduate media advertising training for new entrants into  the media advertising profession and young executives already working in the industry.

Besides, students who would like to improve their current employment status, as well as others, desirous of being employable would also benefit from the different courses, to be taken by professionals in the nation’s integrated marketing communications space, he added.

“We will like to contribute to the ecosystem by providing a constant flow of trainees/students who are well-trained with hands-on practical experience,” Bel-Molokwu said.

“AMA is by the industry, for the industry as both Board of Directors led by veteran in the industry, Dr. Vincent Oyo and the faculty members are all media advertising industry and active practitioners,” stated the Academy’s Director and a Professor of Mass Communication School of Communication, Lagos State University.

One of the unique advantages of the academy, he added, is guaranteed employments on graduation, for the top 10 graduands (diploma) in leading media advertising agencies in Nigeria, six months internship with leading media advertising agencies as part of Diploma program.

In his comment, the Chief Executive Officer of the academy,  Eki Adzufeh, stated that students can register, pay, take assignment, submit all assignment, and check results on the Academy’s website, adding that the faculty is made of leading active professionals,  with local and international backgrounds.