By Raheem Akingbolu
The days of those who practise marketing, without due certification from the appropriate marketing body, the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), seem to be over, as the leadership of the institute has disclosed plans to begin prosecution of such marketers, this week.
Making the disclosure at the institute’s Fellows’ Night and Awards, held in Lagos, recently, the institute’s President and Chairman of council, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, stated that the institute was being left with no other option but to prosecute those who still engage in marketing, without registering with the institute; since they had failed to avail themselves of the olive branch extended to them by the institute.
He described the prosecution, which commences this week, with the first batch of erring marketers, as part of the council’s resolve at ridding the profession of fake practitioners.
While describing those who practised the profession, without registering with the institute as quacks, Agenmonmen however commended practitioners who had heeded the call and registered with the institute.
He also expressed delight at the support received from professional bodies, in the country, especially the Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) and Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB), for heeding the institute’s membership registration call, as evident in the number of practitioners that had coming to register from there, in recent times.
“In the past few years, we have preached the need for voluntary compliance with the requirement of the law for all marketing practitioners to be accredited and registered with the Institute. I am happy to report that many practitioners have responded. The Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) and Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) have been very co-operative.
“Unfortunately, even with our patience and persuasion, some practitioners have refused to comply with all the requirements of the law. Therefore, the first set of these people will be having their date in court from this week, as the charges against them have already been filed in court,” he stated.
The NIMN boss added that the institute had been re-engineered by his administration in the past few years, as evident in the huge number of marketing professionals, over 70 of them, being inducted as fellows of the institute, at the event.
While reiterating the institute’s commitment to championing the application of marketing tenets and principles to governance, Agenmonmen, however, lamented that some provisions of the current NIMN Act, were yet to fully meet the requirements of a modern institute, when benchmarked against similar marketing institutes in other parts of the globe.
“We are currently working on some amendments to the Act, which, as soon as they are approved by the NIMN General Assembly, will be presented to the National Assembly,” he stated.
The NIMN boss, however, called on members, with amendment requests, to forward same to the institute’s Registrar, to enable the institute make a robust presentation at the National Assembly.
