Stakeholders score Ajufo-led OAAN high on transformative leadership
By Felicia Nwosu
What is an innovative association without creative and transformational leadership? Creative leaders work from the inside out. When faced with business challenges they first look at their own internal capacity and assess where they need to change. They view problems as opportunities to expand their own inner development and that of the organisation.
In order to be successful in the 21st century, creative leaders who strive to foster collaborative dialogue as opposed to endless circular discussion usually begin with an assessment of the culture and of the mindset behind the leadership.
As the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) gets set for its 2021 Annual General Meeting, in preparation for its next leadership transitional journey, stakeholders and members of the Association have lauded the Emmanuel Ajufo-led administration for running an all-inclusive administration and for transforming the Association to an enviable height through people-centric policies and various innovative ideas.
Some members revealed this while speaking with Nigeria’s leading Brand & Marketing publication, MARKETING EDGE, which deems it fit to take a holistic assessment of the Emmanuel Ajufo-led leadership scorecard by members, since he took-over the baton of leadership in 2019.
Speaking with non-executive members of the Association, Lanre Ashaolu, the MD/CEO of Four Pulley Limited, noted that on the path of growth and development, the present administration has recorded a reasonable achievement in the engagement of stakeholders in the advertising sector.
He highlighted reforms such as the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), a partnership between APCON and OAAN, and the collaboration between Interaction Channel Ltd. (ICL) to provide solutions to measurement in the OOH sector, using innovative moving audience platform as some of the outstanding achievements. According to him, all these were introduced to guide the business of OOH practice in Nigeria, which has helped to raise members’ status in the industry.
In his words: “Members have been able to benefit from the reform by being able to operate in uniform level across the board. They have been able to engage with relevant stakeholders in the industry to ensure good welfare for its members.”
Bidwell Okere, the Chief Executive Officer of Luzo Digital Network & Media, expressed confidence and optimism towards the present administration, describing its performance as “doing tremendously well”, while rating them on the scale of 8/10. He commended the leadership for not running a ‘one-man-show leadership’, but a centralised one where every member is recognised.
“This administration has really given its members a voice, and has also encouraged non-members and reluctant ones to register as members of OAAN, thereby boosting members’ moral and the Association’s equity.”
Mr. Bidwell therefore advised members to learn to adhere strictly to policies as stipulated by the Association for smooth running of the administration. He also hopes that the Association continues to consolidate on the gains of the present administration while working towards a higher growth.
Lawal Olanrewaju, the Chief Executive Officer of Ultimate Media Consulting Limited, rated the administration 9/10 on their score card. He noted that they have achieved a great deal in the past 2 years by encouraging practitioners to pay annual subscription on time and by giving 5% discount till a certain period.
In his words: “I also commend them in the areas of debt recovery and timely payment from agencies; very laudable collaboration – we want more of that.”
In the same vein, Fidelis Ekeke, CEO/MD of Cool Sign Media, has given his commendation on the 2-year-led administration. He revealed that through the Emmanuel Ajufo-led administration, the image of OAAN, which was previously written-off, has been redefined to the extent that Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) now works closely with the Association.
He stated that the administration has also created an avenue for them to present their challenges before the National Assembly which has given room to review some of the laws and policies.
He noted that he believes that the leadership is resolved to pilot the affairs of the Association in a manner that will reinforce its pride in the comity of professional bodies, while appealing to the administration to tackle some of the challenges confronting the activities of the Association.
“The only challenge we have is meeting-up with the ADVAN/MIPAN and other stakeholders on quarterly payment of contracts and the delay of 180 days before payment. These are some of what we are asking this regime to rectify for us.”
The Association’s 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) is slated for Friday, 25 June in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
A culture of corporate entrepreneurship is vital to the future of creative business. For agencies facing adverse conditions owing to global disruptions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic crisis, investing in internal innovation is more important than ever. Innovation, even within struggling agencies and associations, not only helps secure survival but can lead to new ways of serving clients and growing the business during uncertain times. Game-changing innovations need vision, nurturing, and resourcing – and that is what the Ajufo-led administration is courageously bringing to bear.
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