Charles Chijide, Secretary of Board of Trustee and former president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), has admonished the newly inaugurated Women in Out-of-Home Advertising of Nigeria (WOHAN), a subgroup of OAAN, to relate and function as partners with aligned values, goals and shared vision with its parent association. His admonition, he noted, is aimed towards accelerating growth, professionalism and also to foster unity of purpose of the larger body.

He made the remark while delivering a speech during the inaugural meeting and unveiling of WOHAN’s logo. The maiden edition of the meeting was held at Ikeja, Lagos with a call to foster inclusion among all professionals. The President of West African Out-of-Home urged the two organisations to walk in synergy to promote growth and harmony among members.

“Today, women are now in the frontline in all professions and industries and our own sector will not be an exception. There is a women wing of NBA, same for Nigerian Union of Journalists, NMA, ICAN and many others. These groups work together with their main-stream bodies to achieve collective good and goal for the good of the entire industry.

“In other words, I will advise that WOHAN should still see itself as a group under the general umbrella of our main body i.e. OAAN. We should work together as partners and not as a pressure groups. Working as a pressure group within the general body will surely be counter-productive,” he said.

The elder statesman affirmed that the initiative is apt and has garnered unanimous support from the male partners in the industry.

“From WOHAN’s vision as has been clearly stated, the new body has envisioned to empower women in WOHAN by creating an inclusive environment that recognizes and amplifies their talent expertise leading to a more diverse and equitable industry. Looking at the wordings of this vision, there is no doubt that initiators of WOHAN has a good intention.

“In that regard, the focus of the new group is clear and the objective well spelt out. As you are inaugurated today, I urge you to let us work collectively together in unison by lifting up the banner of true professionalism and excellence with respect to ethics of our profession and strict compliance to rules and regulations governing the Out-of-Home advertising practice in the country,” Mr. Chijide advised.

The WOHAN maiden edition with the theme: “Women in OOH Media: Issues, Challenges and Prospects,” was held amidst glitz and glamour. It was witnessed by several bigwigs in the OOH advertising landscape and supported by colleagues from several other sectors.