‘Prepare early for industry’ — ARCON tells Mass Comm students

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), has called on students in communication-related fields to enrol in ARCON’s student membership program to bridge academia with industry and strengthen professional readiness.

Speaking during the 2025 Advertising Pitch competition at Fountain University Osogbo, Osun State Coordinator of ARCON, Mrs. Idris Hassana, emphasized that students in communication-related fields — registration facilitates access to internships and eases the transition from campus to career.

“Whether you’re studying Mass Communication, Marketing, Graphic Design, or Advertising, this is an opportunity to prepare early,” she told attendees.

“Once registered, you become eligible for associate membership upon graduation without having to undergo the Educative Member Route (EMR), provided your institution is accredited. This gives you leverage in internship placements and post-graduation job opportunities.”

The event with the theme, Faithful Finance: Building Wealth the Halal Way with Cowrywise, was organised by 400 level students of Mass Communication, Fountain University Osogbo.

In his opening remarks, the Head of the Department, Mass Communication, Dr. Olusegun Sanni, said the pitch as a tradition that began in 2014 and has since grown into a platform for showcasing creativity and strategic thinking in real-world contexts.

“The advertising pitch is not just a classroom exercise, it’s a mirror of what the industry expects,” Dr. Sanni noted.

“It reflects our belief that students must be equipped not just with knowledge, but with exceptional ability.”

Joining the event via Zoom, Grillo Adebiyi, Lead of Marketing and Growth at Cowrywise, who commended the students for their innovation urged youths “to start building wealth with intention.” “Understand your needs before your wants. Spend wisely. Save consistently. And invest ethically.”

He emphasized the importance of budgeting and money management using Cowrywise’s 50-30-20 rule: 50% of income should go to needs, 30% to lifestyle choices, and 20% to savings or investments.

One of the judges, Oluwatoyin Yusuf, Deputy Director of News and Current Affairs, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) described the entire program as “an excellent step toward financial literacy,” stating that the students displayed a “commendable understanding of Halal finance principles.”

Meanwhile, the course instructor Dr. Rasheed Adebiyi announced that the event was sponsored by Cowrywise, a Nigerian digital wealth management platform, with ₦500,000 to promote its ethical finance product, Halal Investment.

READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE