LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT
MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER RESOURCES
BLOCK 16
The Secretariat, Ikeja
PRESS RELEASE
SANWO-OLU TO ADVERTISERS: JOIN CAMPAIGN ON DIVERSIFICATION FROM MONO-ECONOMY TO AGRICULTURE
Lagos State Government on Sunday urged advertisers and marketers to join the campaign on diversification from a mono-economic culture to embrace the opportunities available in the abundance of agriculture potentials in the country.
This was made known by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the 10th ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence West Africa held at the Shell Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for the Environment and water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello noted that agriculture and Natural resources served as economic mainstay before the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities that changed the narrative of the national economic vision and focus.
He added that It is also the duty of the advertisers and marketers to promote the image of Nigeria with the potentials available in the diversity in order to encourage foreign and direct investments which will impact positively on the growth of the economy.
He noted that the essence of nation building is to maintain a strategic advantage in the comity of nations with a view of promoting economic growth.
He said since the inception of ADVAN Awards a decade ago, it has provided a credible platform to promote professionalism, brand awareness, loyalty and consumer retention in a competitive market.
He added that the efforts of ADVAN, as the major trade association representing the interests of advertisers and marketers in Nigeria, has not gone unnoticed at the global stage.
He said the nomination of ADVAN to the Executive Council of the World Federation of Advertisers is commendable stressing that it equally connotes that the association needs to upscale their activities and ensure that quality control becomes a byword in the industry.
He stated that there are positive and negative perceptions about any country and its people which is formed by the experience of the observer or respondent. .
Sanwo-Olu said everyone must work together to project a positive global perception of the country in place of the negative narrative that is being promoted with ignominy.
He stressed that every citizen represents brand ambassadors of Nigeria, therefore whatever they say or project into public consciousness carries a lot of weight, especially in the international fora and the unregulated social media.
“Let us leverage on the gains recorded by our dynamic entertainment sector which has firmly placed its foot on the global stage, especially with the global focus on Nigeria when one of our own Burna Boy was nominated and eventually won the Grammy Award as a musical artiste” he said.
According to him, I celebrate all the nominees for the privilege availed them in a pool of incredibly talented personnel and organisations in an era that is rapidly being transformed by artificial intelligence and technology.
He said the nomination of the awardees is reflective of their contributions to the growth of the advertising and marketing sector for the growth of their economy.
He added that the award nominations should motivate everyone to raise the bar of performance in the industry among their peers and younger professionals in the industry.
He added that he sees branding from the context of a national entity where the sum total of creativity, design and narratives identifies or differentiates one country from the other.
Signed
Kunle Adeshina
Director (Public Affairs)
MOE &WR
November 22, 2021