Tolaram’s Onwudiwe Charges Marketing Students On Innovativeness, Others At NIMN Port Harcourt AGM
Lead, Marketing Strategy & Innovation at Tolaram Group, Onwudiwe Uche, has urged students of tertiary institutions across Nigeria to remain innovative, consumer-centric and visionary as they prepare for careers in an increasingly dynamic and competitive marketplace.
Uche gave the charge during the Student Marketing Conference, a major highlight of the 2026 Annual Marketing Conference (AMC) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), held in Port Harcourt under the theme, “Community, Culture and Connection: Reimagining the New Market.”
Sponsored by Tolaram Group, the Student Marketing Conference brought together marketing students from tertiary institutions across the country under the theme, “From Classroom to Marketplace,” with the objective of equipping future marketing professionals with practical insights and industry-relevant skills.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Student Conference Committee, Mr. Oluwafemi Adeniba, said the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice by exposing students to real-world marketing experiences and contemporary industry expectations.
In his keynote address, Uche encouraged participants to embrace innovation, understand evolving consumer needs and develop the strategic thinking required to succeed in today’s fast-changing business environment.
He stressed the importance of creativity, adaptability and a forward-looking mindset, noting that the future belongs to marketers who can anticipate market shifts, build meaningful customer relationships and create value-driven solutions.
The conference featured a series of individual and group competitions aimed at testing participants’ marketing knowledge, creativity, problem-solving abilities and strategic thinking skills.
At the end of the competition, Adajine Josiah Omeiza, a 300-level Marketing student of the University of Port Harcourt, emerged as the overall winner and was crowned the 2026 NIMN Market-Ready Marketer.
His prize package included a cash award of ₦150,000, a Winner’s Certificate, official recognition as the 2026 NIMN Market-Ready Marketer, as well as fast-track recruitment consideration and an employment opportunity with Tolaram Group.
Newman Nwachinemere Isaac, also a 300-level Marketing student of the University of Port Harcourt, emerged as the First Runner-Up and received a cash prize of ₦100,000, a Certificate of Excellence and special recognition at the symposium.
The Second Runner-Up position went to Nzuruike Uchechi Jennifer, a 300-level Marketing student of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, who received a cash prize of ₦50,000, a Certificate of Excellence and special recognition.
In addition, all 13 individual finalists received Market-Ready Marketer Finalist Certificates, recognition as members of the Top 13 Student Marketers in the competition and inclusion in the NIMN Emerging Marketing Talent Pool.
Stakeholders at the conference described the initiative as a valuable platform for nurturing the next generation of marketing professionals and strengthening collaboration between academia and industry.
The conference and AGM concluded with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to deepen industry-academia collaboration, strengthen professionalism and position marketing as a critical catalyst for sustainable economic growth and national development in Nigeria.