AMA graduates 38, pledges better services
By Abimbola Mohammed
One of the leading media and advertising schools in Nigeria, Alphabet Media Academy (AMA), has graduated about 38 students at its inaugural graduation ceremony in Lagos.
The event, which was held at Sheba Event Center, Ikeja Lagos with theme: “The 21st Century Media Advertising Trajectories: The Need For Data and its Analysis”, had the presence of Mr. Femi Adelusi, President Media Independence Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN)/ Faculty lead AMA; Mr. Emmanuel Ajufor, President, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN); Patrick Gomes, CEO, DigitXplus; Adeola Emmanuel Amosun, Group Head Media Planning and Strategy, Carat; Dele Odugbemi, Marian Ogaziechi, General Manager, Dentsu International; Bolu Essien, and Pressmen.
The graduating students were issued Post Graduate Certificates in Media Management (PGCMM) and Post Graduate Diploma in Media Management (PGDMM).
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Mr. Adelusi noted that the academy has gone far since its inception and has expanded to West Africa.
His words: “It’s our inaugural ceremony and I believe we have come a long way. I am proud to see the certificate and diploma students graduating today. The number of students today is very small in terms of total number of students that have graduated from AMA in the past 6 years or there about, not only in Nigeria but across West Africa. So, we are very proud that we are contributing to not just the academy of the media and marketing specialty in Nigeria, but also professionally because part of the programme is internship that gives new joiners and people in the industry an opportunity to learn practically during their attachment to agencies.”
Speaking on how they plan to advance the academy, innovate and expand its reach, he said: “Over the next few years, we plan to convert some of our courses to online modular courses; we have got enquiries from clients and students who want courses that are specific to understanding media, measurements and performance that do have the time to do the 13 weeks or 4 weeks programmes of weekends. So, they are looking for snackable contents where they can at their own time take the courses and write the exams. We are also looking to partner with technology companies like Google who have indicated interest in the knowledge development in the media industry.”
“38 students are graduating today, but we have graduated over 300 hundred students already since we started the academy in the last 5 years,” Mr. Adelusi stated.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Eki Aduzufeh, Chief Executive Officer AMA, noted that the academy was launched in 2018 to provide adequate training for practitioners in the Integrated Marketing Communications industry to stop the dearth of manpower in the sector as well as curb quacks from parading as professionals.
His words: “Alphabet Academy is a finishing school for media and advertising people in particular, and generally for IMC professionals. I have been in the industry for a while and when I stepped aside from active service, I saw a lot of knowledge gap. So, I said why don’t we create an avenue where people from different backgrounds can come and more? People need to have the requisite background to be able to defend their position wherever they are and AMA has been able to do that.
“People are coming. The academy is for the agency both from the client side and the agency side. This is where we give people a required knowledge that is even practical. All our facilities consist of active members in the industry, that is why we say Alphabet Media is by the industry and for the Industry because we make things go round in the industry.”
On his part, Chairman, Alphabet Media Academy, Mr. Vincent Oyo, stated that the academy has created a pool of trained talents that would shape the future of media advertising and marketing communications industry in Nigeria and Africa.
“Alphabet Media Academy was launched on February 20, 2018. The idea was conceived since 2014, but was finally registered on 11 July 2016 as ALPHABET MEDIA ACADEMY LIMITED.
“This concept was thought out by three Media Advertising professionals who met in 2014 to advance the profession to an enviable level and in a sustainable way. It is designed to refine the quality of training available to our colleagues on the field with a commitment to continually upscaling the same in line with global standards,” he explained.
AMA is, therefore, a project for the Industry, by the industry’ as both the Board of Directors led by Mr. Oyo, a veteran and the faculty members are all advertising industry-related people.
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