Omojafor eulogises MARKETING EDGE Publisher, Ajayi, for his doggedness
By Felicia Nwosu
It was a profound and emotional moment when Sir Steve Omojafor eulogised Mr. John Ajayi, CEO/ Publisher of MARKETING EDGE for his doggedness and indomitable spirit. He added that Ajayi’s legacy will leave an indelible mark in the history of Nigeria’s marketing communications ecosystem. He stated this during the MARKETING EDGE Brands and Excellence Awards, which coincided with its 20th anniversary, held at the D’Podium Event Centre, Lekki Lagos.
Sir Omojafor, while delving into history, recalled how he met the audacious journalist Ajayi about 30 years. He extolled him for his doggedness and for taking the bold step of establishing an information powerhouse like MARKETING EDGE.
“John is somebody, honestly in my life, I am not kidding, that’s dogged and wants to get what he wants no matter what it takes. If John doesn’t penetrate you in the office, he will find out what social club or wherever you hang out, and will come there to see you. If he cannot meet you there, John will find out where you live. I want to just use the word doggedness and that is what has brought John to where he is today. Having set up his magazine, MARKETING EDGE and made so much success in the last 20 years, it didn’t come easy and it doesn’t come cheap,” he said.
Commending the remarkable growth trajectory recorded by the publication over the years, Sir Omojafor attested that the platform has stood the test of time for 20 years, despite the unfriendly nature of the Nigerian business environment.
The advertising guru celebrated the legacy laid by Ajayi, which he affirmed would continue to inspire change and hope as it continues to resonate with the industry. Sir
Omojafor described Ajayi as a man of unwavering principles, dedication, resilience and hard work.
“When John was going to set up this magazine, he came to me and said, look, Oga, I want to set up a magazine to cover more comprehensively the days and minutes of the marketing communication industry. I said, John, how are you going to start this up? It is an expensive business. He said to me, with your prayer, encouragement and with a little commitment, I will get it done. I said to John, I am handing you over to the good Lord. Let us thank God he did it and it all went extremely well,” he added.
According to him, that one bold step taken by the MARKETING EDGE CEO has transformed the face of marketing communication reportage, and will continue to resonate among future practitioners.
“Some years ago, John called me up and said look, this your baby magazine has been able to succeed to this point. I said to him, you got to be joking. You mean that little baby that was conceptualized not too long ago is now trending, and he said, yes, sir. And I said, John, what qualified me for an award? All I have done is try to mentor you and say to you these are the pitfalls you got to avoid in choosing your friends, in choosing your clients, in choosing your partners, in choosing your staff.
“These are the little things you got to take care of, and John said to me, Sir, all these things you have listed down are what have made me and my magazine and my staff achieve what we are doing. I got an award some 5, 7 years ago and I said to John, keep me out of your awards – talking to you alone is enough award for me. The success you have made is enough award for me and John said, thank you, sir,” Sir Omojafor noted.
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