Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Ahmed Abubakar Audi, Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), and Tim Akano, MD/CEO of New Horizon Nigeria have been conferred honourary fellowships at the just concluded 2025 Nigerian Institute of Public Relations Week (NPRW) organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
Expressing his gratitude while speaking with Brand Communicator and other media platform in an interview, Dr. Fadolapo said the honour signifies alignment and collaboration between industries.
In his words “For me personally, this honour means that other industries and critical stakeholders appreciate my contributions towards the growth and improvement of the industry.
“It shows that they believe in the reforms ARCON is pushing and that were providing the right leadership to the advertising industry.”
He also highlighted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ARCON, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and the National Institute of Marketing Nigeria (NIMN), emphasising the importance of a united front in the marketing communication industry.
“This induction is an endorsement, a collaboration, and an alignment with other sectoral groups, and it speaks to the fact that we are on the right track,” Dr. Fadolapo noted.
He further emphasised that ARCON and other sectoral groups are inseparable twins in the marketing communication family, with both PR and advertising playing critical roles in communication strategy. The MoU, he said, would facilitate collaboration and smoother transitions for public relations practitioners into the advertising industry, reducing bureaucracy and enhancing workflow.
“The curricula for both fields are closely related within the marketing communication industry. This collaboration will make everything flow more smoothly.”
On his part, Tim Akano, MD/CEO of New Horizon Nigeria, expressed his gratitude for the honorary fellowship, noting that while he has received several awards in the past, the NIPR recognition stands out due to the institute’s reputation as one of the strongest and most recognized institutions in Nigeria and Africa.
“The fact that NIPR considered me alongside two other esteemed individuals for this award means a lot to me,” Akano said.
He also congratulated Dr. Ike Neliaku, President of NIPR, on his achievements, saying, “I’m thrilled about his success, and it is no surprise, given my 20-year acquaintance with him. He’s done an outstanding job repositioning NIPR into the formidable institution it is today. I am happy for him, and I’m honored to have been recognised alongside him.”