NIMN in the grip of Undertakers?

MARKETING EDGE EDITORIAL

Some leaders of institutions or organizations are, knowingly or unknowingly, serial killers. Whatever they touch dies even when they didn’t deliberately set out to do so.

Basically, brands, be it products, organizations or institutions, die. In most cases, however, brands die not because they are supposed to die, as the reason for their demise is usually traced to those under whose care they were entrusted.

From a Darwinian point of view, the death risk of an institution or brand is determined by its leadership qualities, the environmental conditions to which it is exposed, and its structural integrity and ability to cope with and adapt to the contemporary business environment.

The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) which is the body for professionals engaged in marketing and related fields, such as marketing practitioners, sales and marketing directors etc is today reeling under the throes of undertakers led by Idy Enang . The institute which was established through Act No. 25 of 2003 after several years of internal rancours occasioned by the emergence of two parallel bodies have failed to learn from history. After several years of war of attrition by the two parallel bodies, the current institute emerged through an Act of parliament promulgated into law on 25 July 2003 by former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

NIMN is also specifically conferred with a chartered status, the responsibility to regulate and standardize marketing professional practice through the conduct of comprehensive professional examinations and certifications, training and retraining.

However, in the last 5 years, the institute has been found seemingly wanting in discharging its statutory duties. The institute’s pathetic tale of retardation and kleptomania in the last 5 years is not helped in the least by self serving individuals. While the appalling manifestations of its dereliction of duty and reckless leadership have become a crying shame, the bell now tolls for the ever troubled and ill- fated institute. Top most of its inherent challenge is the leadership question. The leadership recruitment system in place within the institute has depressingly left nothing to be desired.

The imminent demise of NIMN is Darwinian in the sense that any organization that fails to adapt to the fast-changing world of technology will not survive. Over the last 5 years, this ailing institute has failed to adapt to changes in the industry and has been inflicting a series of injuries on itself through irresponsible leadership. It is no wonder then that the institute has been unable to add any value to registered members and aspiring marketers in Nigeria.

While dynamic institutes and organizations like the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria( CIBN) and Chartered Institute of Accountants continue to add value, build capacity for the industries through trainings, retraining and certifications, the NIMN has remained in its desultory cocoon, waiting for miracles to happen on membership. In reviewing the critical self-inflicted tragedy of the institute today, kudos should be given to the founders and visionaries.

These are individuals such as Chief Lateef Taiwo Fagbemi, late Chief Lea Aimiuwu, Alhaji Ganiyu Koledoye, Chief Sylva Emoekpere and Chief Femi Odufowokan. Where are the Tunji Oyebanjis, Ify Uriahs, Mrs. Modupe Babalolas, Bola Akingbades, Femi Oyewoles, Mr. Adeyeyes, Kolawoles, and Taiwos amongst several others who played great roles to build a formidable marketing institute of world class standard.

In those early days, these leaders organised regular trainings and retraining programmes for registered members. To boost capacity for the industry, they organized certification and recertification programmes for those willing to choose marketing as a profession and vocation.

In those days, it was pomp and pageantry as NIMN led the packs of other professional bodies in membership drive and capacity. Today, all those things are gone as the institute that used to have over 200 employees in its employ pan-Nigeria has just less than 8 staff on its pay-roll, including a gate man!

Therefore it’s not even a surprise to many industry watchers that the institute is headed towards its inevitable demise. Ironically, as the institute fumbles and wobbles on the precipice, the Body of Fellows, a top most advisory group of renowned marketers who are fellows of the institute, both serving and retired marketeers, remains helplessly and hopelessly aloof and in a state of inertia.

A Zoom meeting initiated some few months ago by the comatose Body of Fellows led by Mr. Alex Goma, a distinguished marketer in his years at PZ Cussons and several notable multinationals gave a vivid insight into the cankerworm that is eating deep into the NIMN fabric. Out of over one thousand members of Body of Fellows in the institute’s register, not quite up to 20 Fellows attended the meeting.

A bombshell was unravelled when the incumbent Chairman of the Body of Fellows, Mr. Goma in his opening remarks apologized profusely to the few members attending the virtual meeting about the complete state of inertia and apathy of the group.

This, Goma noted very humbly but boldly, was due to his own short- comings and inadequacies and consequently apologized. He took full responsibilities for these short- comings. However, moving forward, he pleaded with the attendees to grant his request to step aside while another person is elected to take his position so that the institute’s Body of Fellows can regain life and vibrancy.

Perhaps in their shock and emotional embarrassment over these disclosures, the few members present at the meeting objected to Goma’s resignation plea, arguing that he should still sit back and reactivate and resuscitate the body which he inherited as vibrant and relevant. They premised their arguments on the fact that Goma’s tenure is yet to end, hence, the Body of Fellows could not start shopping for somebody in replacement mid term of tenure!

This arguement prevailed as the meeting from the begining to the end was pervaded by an atmosphere of silence, sullenness and indescribable sombreness. The reluctant Chairman, Alex Goma accepted to continue in office without being able to draw up a new agenda for rebirth and re- awakening.

Nonetheless, the meeting still produced some scanty resolutions in its minute of meeting released after several months without a categorical road map on concrete actions on the way forward. What is painful to watch is NIMN’s sudden and tragic loss of brand equity, essence and dignity as it trudges on to its corporate grave.

Infact, the years of factional wars by two parallel bodies laying claims to the control of marketing and marketing practice in Nigeria were far better than now. This allusion may sound funny but that is the truth! Then, there was serious competition out there by the two parallel bodies to add value to the marketing profession.

Training programmes upon training programmes were held by the two opposing bodies almost simultaneously for members and would-be members. There were a plethora of capacity building workshops, marketing conferences and seminars.

Almost everyday, major national dailies, radio and television stations bristled with advertorials, TV Commercials of planned marketing programmes and activities. Those early days were, without mincing words, the golden apogee of marketing activities in Nigeria.

Top government officials, governors and several key stakeholders were chief hosts to the leaders of these two parallel bodies in their move to sell marketing practice and marketing profession to them. Today, the story is not the same. How are the mighty fallen?

Who will rescue this giant as it sucks and foams in the mouth on its sick bed? Where are the passionate marketers of those days? Where are the several budding talents, young talented mid career marketers of those days? Where are these people? The Gen Zs are here and the institute that cannot manage the old order is obviously deficient to manage them as the tottering continues.

Any leader who erroneously perceive his position through the vainglorious lens of his own ego is advertently or inadvertently leading his organisation on the doom path. That appears to be the fate of NIMN right now. An organization must be about more than grandstanding and vacuous showmanship if it is to survive the sweeping global disruptions bedeviling the industry.

Would it rather be stated categorically that NIMN is now paying the price of redundant excellence which it has incurred in the last 5 years of moribund leadership? From all indications, the institute is fast becoming a tragic story of how not to end a national organization.

Feelers from elders and senior fellows of the institute as well as a groundswell of opinions amongst majority of members revealed an appalling resignation to ill fate and despondency. Efforts in recent times by some concerned past leaders and senior marketeers in the country to arrest the tide at NIMN has been hopelessly rebuffed by the undertakers masquerading as leaders.

The incumbent leaders seem to be focused on their own selfish and vainglorious best interests, promoting personal goals using the institute’s platform without regard for anything resembling the greater public good or for the industry.

NIMN has lost control over its core body functions, which is more of institutional and structural. Stakeholders and professionals who care about NIMN can only hope that Nigeria remembers all the good it did before the last 5 years and not its undignified demise.

It’s not a crime for an institution or organization to die. It’s not a crime because even some of the biggest corporate organizations die, though in different ways. While some get bought, some merge, some get split up and others just stop to exist.

However, what’s of utmost importance is that when the journey is over, a leader of a supposedly reputable institute like NIMN should be man enough to make the call and bow out in a dignifying manner. Such death shouldn’t be made to be seen by the public as distressingly embarrassing as the current leadership is doing.

Remember that the difference between an altruistic and egocentric leadership is the ability of the leader to think about how to preserve an organization’s dignity after their tenure or how to ruin the organization’s reputation through selfishness.

Unfortunately, nothing about the actions of the current leadership of NIMN shows that they’re ready to preserve the dignity and future prospect of the once reputable institute. Who will save NIMN from the cold hands of avoidable death? The answer is in the womb of time.