Sola Akinsiku

 

The President, Out -of- Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Chief Sola Akinsiku, has called on members of the association to thoroughly evaluate the political period with a  view to having an understanding  that will help distinguish them as  thorough professionals, committed to the demands of fairness, excellence and ethical considerations at all times.

 

The OAAN boss gave the charge at the association’s 41st Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, recently.

 

He stated that the AGM’s theme: “OOH Media in Political Campaign Season: Policies, Politics, And Fair Practice”, had become imperative since political events of the recent months, and those that would come in the following months, would have implications for the out- of- home practice.

 

Akinsiku explained that the conference was to prepare members for the task ahead, especially in times of heightened political communication as  being currently witnessed.

 

While urging members to practise within the limits of decency, the OAAN Boss expressed the optimism that members would learn a great deal from the Keynote Speaker,  Honourable Theodore Ejikeme, a renowned practitioner and Chairman, Marketing & Media Group.

 

In his Keynote Address, the Hon. Ejikeme counselled  the association to strengthen its corporate governance  by entrusting its staff with executive powers,  that would enable them speak truth to power without fear of reprisal from regulators.

 

He stated that individual members, leading the association continue to come under the hammer of regulatory authorities, over actions taken by the association which such authorities see as not aligning with their interests.

 

This, he argued, had constrained the extent the leadership of the association can go in defending the interests of members, especially on controversial issues.

 

The Marketing & Media boss, therefore, believed by strengthening its corporate governance, the association would effectively be shielding  members from the vulnerability of stigmatization, hate and selective sanctions, associated with leading the association.

 

“I have always doubted the extent an OAAN Chief executive or any other executive can engage a regulatory agency within the region of his company practice without prostrating for the fear of the obvious repercussion,” he stated.

 

On the forthcoming elections and the expected role the association should play, Ejikeme urged members to ‘double down on cleansing the Augean stables.

 

This, he added, can be achieved by adopting self-regulatory codes designed to prevent unfair advantages, curb visual clutter or environmental pollution, stop inflammatory messaging, uphold transparency in pricing, allocation/acquisition of advertising space, contract administration and equal access to advertising inventory for all political contenders.