The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has pledged full commitment to the expansion of the Lagos Advertising & Ideas Festival (LAIF) and other Marketing Communications projects that can project the Lagos brand in a strong and positive light.
The Governor said this when he was awarded the Political Brand Icon of the Year Award by the Board of Marketing Edge magazine, a brand and marketing publication in Nigeria.
The Award ceremony took place last Friday at D’podium International Event Centre, Ikeja, Lagos.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sanwo-Olu said, “I know about LAIF Awards; for adding Lagos to the name of the festival, we will support it and make it even bigger to expand and showcase the pride of Lagos. We will equally support other noble programmes in your industry that can project the Lagos brand to the rest of the world”
LAIF Awards is an annual recognition event and festival organized by the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN). In recent years, the organisers have been making efforts to elevate the event to the level of other reputable festivals across the world. However, many observers still feel there are so much room for improvement of LAIF.
The governor also acknowledged the transformation recorded in the industry, which, he said, has been occasioned by the injection of funds into the creative sector to support the growth of local advertisers.
He equally pointed out the contribution of government to the growth of the profession as the state has sustained investment in requisite infrastructure that would create a resilient economy and city in which the Brand and Advertising industry would thrive.
The outcome, Sanwo-Olu noted, has ended the period when advertising practitioners needed to fly to Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg in South Africa before shooting good television commercials for their clients.
He said: “Today is for celebrating ourselves, our craft, and achievements as marketing communications professionals. Over the last five decades, the marketing communications profession has evolved remarkably to become a window for the world to see the creativity that resides within us.
“The story has continued to change with improvement and global visibility. Let me assure you, it can only get better from here.
“The infrastructure we are creating are gradually giving you the scenic settings you require for great Television Commercials that can earn more prestigious laurels from across the world.”
Sanwo-Olu also told the gathering that his administration was not unaware of the greater impact which a flourishing creative sector and advanced technology would have on the growth of brands, stressing that his government was currently supporting thousands of youths in the creative sector in order to boost capacity and knowledge.
He added that 3,000 metro fibre optics being rolled out across the state would also boost the quality of the output in the Brand and Marketing industry when the fast Internet infrastructure is launched.
“All of these are to let you know that my administration is a part of the marketing and marketing communications family. I know the importance of the industry and I am committed to its continued growth. That is the reason we are building a resilient and livable city that you and your clients will someday be proud of,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said Lagos had benefited immensely from the ingenuity and knowledge of brand and advertising practitioners, recalling some of the strategic counsel he received from industry professionals during the trying days of his administration.
Sanwo-Olu expressed his gratitude to the industry practitioners for founding him worthy of the honour and promised he would always rely on expertise in the industry to achieve his goals as the Chief Marketing Officer of Lagos State.
Speaking earlier, the publisher of Marketing EDGE, Mr. John Ajayi, said the summit had evolved over the years to become a brand on its own.
Those honoured at the event, he said, were assessed and confirmed to be change agents promoting future-fit businesses in the age of new normal.
Speaking on the reason for the special recognition given to the governor, Mr. Ajayi, said: “. We consider conferring him with an award a befitting honour, and as our own little way of sharing in and amplifying his iconic success story in life and, particularly as the Executive Governor of Lagos State over the last two years.
“The fact that since he inspiringly hit the ground running, on the assumption of office on May 29, 2019, he has remained focused, determined, daring, and has left no stone unturned to deliver on his promise of moving Lagos State beyond the common standard of Excellence, through his T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda!”
Mr. Ajayi continued: “Mr. Governor adopted a brand-centric approach to governance so much so that Lagos State is, today, an iconic brand with unrivaled brand equity in the comity of states in Nigeria and he is an enviable iconic brand among his peers in the country and beyond!
“Significantly, this award is a product of a forensic review of his performance in the last one year, most especially Mr. Sanwo-Olu’s sterling performance at the height of the COVID-19 global pandemic last year, which made Lagos State the epicenter of the challenging development to emerge as a brand to watch in crisis management, responsiveness, responsibility, and conflict resolution.”