By Glory James

Rt. Hon. Okpolupm Etteh, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Special Duties, has been conferred with the award of Fellowship of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), the highest professional membership grade of the Institution.

The conferment ceremony took place on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja, Lagos, during the Institute 2020 Fellows’ Dinner and Award Nigh.

Speaking at the 2020 NIMN ceremony, the President and Chairman of Council of the Institute, Mr. Tony Agenmonmen, FNIMN, stated that the process of upgrading members to Fellow is rigorous and painstaking, which is why only those who are truly deserving of the award get conferred each year and stressed that “Etteh’s strides and penchant for excellence has been recognized.”

He implored Rt. Hon. Etteh, the only recipient from Akwa Ibom State, and 76 other recipients across Nigeria not to be contented with just adding FNIM appellation to their names but to see it as a call to higher responsibility and service to humanity, the nation, the Institute and the marketing profession.
While congratulating the awardees, Mr. Agenmonmen said I would like to congratulate you and to wish you you even more successes in your different areas of engagement. Please do not let this be the last time we see you at the Institute’s activities. The Institute will be the institute you want, only if we are all very active.”
In his keynote address, the Guest Speaker, Mr. Seni Adetu, a former Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Founder of Algorithm Media Limited, charged the marketers, particularly the awardees, to brace up with the new world trend of artificial intelligence and virtual realities.
He appealed to the professionals to always focus on what they can change as they build their marketing plans, maintaining that for leadership to thrive, “less is more.”
In his acceptance speech, Rt. Hon. Etteh said “I feel great and honoured to be a Fellow of my professional Institution, the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). My every climb in life has been propelled by my marketing background. I promise to adhere and hold to the tenets of this Institution dearly.”
Awardees and their guests at the 2020 event, themed “The Future Of Marketing In A Technology Driven World”, were thrilled by the likes of comedian Gbenga Adeyinka among others.