By Tunji Faleye
The new President of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Mr. Tony Agenmonmen has promised to encourage professionalism and ensure that qualified marketers are available to work on brands.
Agenmonmen, a veteran of 32 years in the marketing profession and an author emerged winner at the weekend during the Institute’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
His emergence followed the sudden withdrawal of his only opponent, Rotimi Olaniyan, managing director/chief executive officer of Advantage and President of Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) from the election.
His decision to withdraw threw the venue of the election into jubilation especially from the camp of Agenmonmen who rallied supports from delegates amid tension and anxiety the whole process generated since the beginning of the AGM.
Before Olaniyan’s withdrawal, there were indications that Agenmonmen would have won the election because of the support the former Nigeria Brewries Plc Senior Strategy Manager enjoyed. However, feeler said that Agenmonmen’s camp was also wary of stiff opposition from Olaniyan’s camp until he withdrew from the race.
Olaniyan shocked members of the institute when he took over the microphone to declare that he was dropping out from the election, leaving Agenmonmen as the sole candidate for the post of the Presidency.
It will be recalled that NIMN was engulfed in serious problem for several years occasioned by a factional crisis among the leaders of the institute which was finally put to rest under the leadership of Mr. Ganiyu Koledoye.
The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) is the body charged with the responsibility of regulating the marketing profession in Nigeria. This includes the authority to determine who are marketers and the standards of knowledge and skills to be obtained by persons seeking to become members of the marketing profession.
The Institute was established through the Act of Parliament No. 25 which was came into effect in July 2003. Hitherto, two professional bodies, the Nigeria Marketing Association (NIMARK) and the Chartered Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (CIMN) had existed as separate professional bodies competing for membership and authority to regulate the practice of marketing profession in Nigeria.