As part of activities to commemorate the World’s Consumers’ Day (WCD) celebration, Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) has concluded plans to honour individuals who have contributed immensely to the nation’s marketing communication environment and consumer empowerment in the 2013.

Those scheduled to honoured include the outgoing chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, ’Lolu Akinwunmi; General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Kola Oyeyemi; Chief Executive Officer of Starcom Media, Ayodele Kupoluyi; CEO of Oracle Experience, Felix Eiremiokhae; and CEO of Absolute PR, Akonte Ekine.

Others are Ehi Braimah, CEO, Neo Media & Marketing; Ken Egbas, CEO of TruContact CSR Nigeria; Dozie Mbanefo, CEO of New Crystal; Bunmi Oke, President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria; and Deji Elumoye, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Lagos chapter.

The event with the theme, “Nigeria Corporate and Helpless Consumers”, is scheduled for Saturday, March 15, at Adna Hotel, Ikeja Lagos.

As part of its contribution to consumerism, Oyeyemi who would receive award for his contribution on the corporate, would deliver a paper on the above-stated subject while discussants include Ms. Sola Salako, CEO Purrples Consult/President Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON), Yomi Badejo Okusanya, CEO, CMC Connect, and David Okeme, Marketing Director, Unilever.

The categories in which the distinguished marketing personalities are judged to have done well are as follows: Regulator (Akinwunmi), Corporate (Oyeyemi), Experiential marketing (Braimah), PR (Ekine), Out Of Home (Mbanefo), Media (Elumoye), Media Independents (Kupoluyi), Nescafe hot air balloon activation (Eiremiokhae), CSR/sustainable development (Egbas), and Advertising (Oke).

Explaining the rationale behind the March 15 event, BJAN Chairman Goodie Ofose said apart from the association’s decision to join others in celebrating consumers, it is imperative that those who have contributed meaningfully to the betterment of consumers and industry at large be recognised to serve as a springboard for encouragement. “The event is an initiative of BJAN in commemorating consumers in Nigeria as well as recognising those who have championed their course in previous year,” he said.

Ofose said that the theme could not have come at a better time than now when the Consumer Protection Council and other industry regulatory agencies have sharpened their swords to tackle consumer violations headlong.

“As journalists our role is to educate, inform and entertain. It also includes agenda setting. We are using this forum to reawaken stakeholders in the industry that they have a duty to protect consumers,” he stated.

The BJAN Chairman appealed to all stakeholders to support the noble initiative as it would go a long way to encourage practitioners to do more for the consumers.

On the choice of the speaker and discussants, Ofose said: “Oyeyemi was picked having spent years as General Manager, Consumer Marketing at MTN Nigeria. He is in a better position to relay their activities as it affect consumers.”

News Express reports that BJAN held its inaugural WCD conference last year and promised that it would form a part of the association’s activity in its calendar.

•Photo shows one of the honourees, ’Lolu Akinwunmi.

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