By LAYI ADELOYE

Saturday, 6 Nov 2010

Many employers adopt different approaches to keep business going. But the strategy of hiring female workers by banks and giving them target is something the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria frowns at. The NIMN Registrar, Mr. Deji Olokesusi, speaks to LAYI ADELOYE on this and other issues concerning the institute and marketing in general

 

In the last one decade, the marketing profession has been seen as an all-comers‘ profession. What are you doing to put a stop to this?

The situation, where marketing profession became adulterated, has not changed. However, there is an improvement. It is like other bodies, such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria- which are well recognised, they did not just start to grow over night. With the accreditation and the Act that united us, the law is there to follow. With time, we are going to employ force. We cannot just start carrying the law enforcement agents to defaulters at present.

We have created the awareness. And we are still doing that through advertisement and through newspaper publications: that it is only by becoming a member of the marketing profession that you can practise in any job related to marketing. It is only then that you can bear that title ‘marketer‘. The president went to the Central Bank of Nigeria and made the apex bank realise that we are not pleased with the mode of employing ladies over night just by dressing in short skirts and asking them to woo people to make sure that they meet their target. That is not marketing for us. Though, we are yet to get feedback from CBN, it is an observation.

If it comes to fruition, are you not concerned that it would worsen the employment situation?

What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. When Adam Smith started the industrial revolution, many were scared of losing their jobs. But they later realised that after having their jobs terminated in one place, jobs were being created in other areas. People can never be jobless as other opportunities will be opened. But my emphasis is professionalism and if you want to be a marketer, be a core marketer and not by the way side.

What are the real tenets of marketing?

Marketing principles are geared towards consumer enjoyment, society’s development through selfless service and service above self. They are also meant to promote excellence in marketing, professionalism, practice and discipline. Its other ideals are trust, integrity, responsibility, accountability, transparency, equity fairness, creating value, capturing value, adding value, applying value, sustaining value with stakeholders focus at world best standards. Above all, as a marketer, you have to create value, trust, which is very important because people have to trust the value of what you are marketing.

What skills should good marketers have?

They are many. As a good marketer, you should be presentable, personable; you must have psycho-mental behaviour to read the mind of the other to project into his need before he speaks. Dressing also matters.

What have been your challenges since becoming the head of the institute?

I came into NIMN from the Nigerian Institute of Management. I was the director of operation and Chief Aimiuwu, who was chairman in council of NIM, never wanted me to go. I told him that the problems were enormous and I had to go. I convinced him that the battle could only be solved from inside and not from outside. Right from the interview when I was asked the two things I could contribute to the particular situation, I said I would reconcile both factions of NIMN then. After I was offered the job, I later found out that some members of one faction were not ready for reconciliation as it were. So, I never really had any good time with them. They saw my efforts as unnecesary even after several court sessions and meetings. After such efforts, just to see that the reconciliation came to fruition, some of my bosses were not happy about the whole episode. The process of bringing the parties together was really a huge challenge.

Specifically, what have been the hallmarks of the unification of the NIM and the Chartered Institute of Marketing of Nigeria that produced the NIMN?

The result is that the NIMN has progressed in leaps and bounds. The rising profile of the body can be attributed to the person at the helms of affairs, Chief Lugard Aimiwu. He has put to bear all the experiences he gained as past president of Nigerian Institute of Management and other institutions that he had worked for over the years, including Shell Nigeria and Unilever Nigeria Plc. At the time of the merger, we were just there battling for relevance, but now we have grown considerably. We are now occupying the upper quadrant level of our operation.

What has been the level of cooperation between the two parties?

In August 2008, a council was inaugurated. The council‘s term ended in April. By and large, members of the institute felt that since they were able to do credibly well during the transition period and that they should continue for the next two years. This is a pointer to the level of unity in the institute and among council members.

The NIMN council inaugurated during the merger, under Chief Aimiuwu, remains united. The council‘s achievements impressed all members to the extent that they were all returned unopposed to carry on the leadership of the institute for another two years term. By doing this, the institute has followed to the letter, the statutory dictates of the act setting up the institute.

What is the impact of the unification on the marketing sub sector of the economy?

It is something everybody can see. In those days when we had two factions, it was a tug of war. Then, a member had to declare which faction he belonged to, especially whenever such a member went out for employment anywhere. If you said you were a member of NIMN, they would ask: ‘Where do you belong?‘ But this disappeared with the unification, which goes to say that whatever certificate you hold now, nobody will look at you with disdain, as one certificate is now being issued under one indivisible institute of marketing chartered by Parliament Act 25 of 2003.

How has it reflected in the appreciation of the brand?

It is reflecting positively at the personal level. Members are now more committed because they now hold firm all the institute‘s ideals. On the occupational level, many companies call us to attest to members‘certificates. Through the accreditation held in 2008, our certificate has been certified by the Federal Ministry of Education and members are very happy at it. It has also helped in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment as our certificates are now considered not only as legitimate, but equivalent of first and post graduate degrees. It is now placed on level eight and nine and soon, it will be on level 10. The accreditation also gave birth to the International Academy of Marketing here in Nigeria, spearheaded by the government. The International Academy of Marketing is a training arm of the institute.

How far has the harmonisation programme gone?

We changed the certificate of everybody to one recognised certificate, which the Federal Civil Service Commission recognises. This decision has added value to our certificates. The people who graduated from 2008 till date just did their convocation last month. The value added to the certificate now is high.

 

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Source: Punch