MIPAN Holds AGM, Femi Adelusi emerges as President
The Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) recently held the 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 through a virtual platform in compliance with social distancing rule of the Federal Government occasioned by the novel COVID-19.
To ensure a successful AGM being the expiration of the tenure of the Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe led executive administration, there was a physical gathering of key executive council members in order to conduct an election of a new executive council. The erstwhile Vice President of the association, Femi Adelusi emerged unopposed as the new MIPAN President and was sworn in as the new president alongside other Executive Council members.
Some other members of the executive council include: Dozie Okafor, Managing Director of PHD who emerged Executive Vice President; Samson Oyebamire, Finance Controller, Intenciti Media Ltd also emerged Financial Secretary. While others are Henry Ononiwu, Business Development Manager, PHD Nigeria emerged Publicity Secretary, Yetunde Adegbite, Managing Director, Postersope (Mediafuse Denstu Aegis Network) emerged Assistant Secretary; Akam-Ekpo Enoch, Head Buying & Investment, Starcom Media Perspectives emerged Assistant Publicity Secretary and Eki Adzufeh remains the Executive Secretary in charge of day-to-day running affairs.
Femi Adelusi who is also the Group Chief Executive Officer of BrandEye|Mediaplus in his acceptance speech thanked the members of the association for their support in the past and seek their continue support as the new executive commences work to take the association to new heights.
“In the weeks ahead, we will be re-constituting some of our various working committees and welcoming them as well. I thank you in advance for your cooperation, sacrifice and contribution to moving our association forward,” he added.
In addition, he explained, “This unique year marks the 21st anniversary of our association. It is no longer news that we are in a pandemic and we live in a new normal where most aspects of life and business have been disrupted.
“The world and indeed Nigeria is faced with a health crisis and a financial crisis in which we are forced to decide on which matters most, Lives or Livelihoods? We must find the right balance as one cannot exist without the other.
“We therefore must face the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing consumer and marketing landscape by finding new insights and pivot continuously to leverage new opportunities.
“As a nation, we must face these changes boldly and creatively leveraging our non natural resources i.e intellection capital, creativity, youthful population, technology adoption, resilience, hard work and can-do-spirit as we know, ‘Naija no dey carry last.’
“This unusual times calls for new type of skills, resilient and a data / technology driven business and communities.”
Speaking on his vision for the association, he said his vision is around the short Acronym T H I N C which is Technology, Data & Innovation; Human capital development; Industry thought leadership; Inclusiveness & Collaboration; and Commercial stability of the media ecosystem.
He explained further, “While the journey ahead may not be always smooth, we will be courageous to forge ahead and with the support of the New EXCO, the Working Committees (not Standing Committees), we will go further by not going alone. For our MIPAN members….”
On his own part the Executive Secretary, Eki said “Our association has come a long way and needs to occupy its rightful place among the sectoral groups in the advertising industry. This association was birthed over twenty years ago and although it has gone through thick and thin and through a lot of learning curves, the maturity time has come and we must do things as a matured association.
“To do this however, we need a sincere change of attitude towards the issues and activities of the association by many of our members, especially the heads of our agencies. We must all take ownership of the association and be more interested in its growth and success as we would like it to be.”
To make up the new Executive Council are the Ex-official members that include Tolu Ogunkoya, Regional Managing Director, Media ReachOMD; Emeka Okeke, Group CE, Media Fuse Dentsu Aegis Network; Oba Ayodele Kupoluyi, Managing Consultant, Ashmaukups; and Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, Group Managing Director/Ceo, Insight Refefini.