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Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman, Troyka Group, was recently, presented with the Special Recognition Award of the University of Lagos Alumni Association, during the Alumni’s Golden Jubilee Awards and Gala Night at a well-attended event at the Lagos Continental in Victoria Island, Lagos.
In a citation during the presentation ceremonies, obtained by our correspondent, the Alumni Association acknowledged him as “Nigeria’s finest marketing communications practitioner. Shobanjo’s pioneering role in the development of the marketing communications industry in Nigeria is unrivalled with a chain of firsts and foremost.”
On hand to present the Award to Shobanjo on behalf of the Alumni Association, was the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency, Dr.Kayode Fayemi.
In an attempt to trace the indelible footprints of the Awardee, part of the citation further read, “with a career that started in broadcasting at the then Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), now known as the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and now advertising, he is reputed to be the one man that has had the most positive effect on the marketing communications industry in Nigeria in the last fifty years.”
It also identified that the Troyka Group has become famous in Nigeria as the ‘University of Advertising’, a situation that has seen “leaders of most of the highly successful companies in the marketing communications industry being led by Troyka alumni.”
This is part of the evidence of the fruits of the group’s continuous investment in human capacity development that has seen it support and partner with institutions of higher learning, including the University of Lagos and the Pan Atlantic University, where Troyka supports the Mass CommunicationDepartment and School of Media and Communications respectively.
A man respected globally for his professional achievements, Shobanjo, has over the years, won numerous awards for professional excellence and integrity.
Chain Reactions signs up Ex-Ogilvy and DDB’s Uche Ugorji as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development
Chain Reactions Nigeria Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading Public Relations and Integrated Communications Consulting firms and Nigerian affiliate to Edelman, the world’s largest Public Relations firm, has named Uche Ugorji as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development.
The Managing Director and Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Nigeria, Israel Jaiye Opayemi, announced in a statement that Uche Ugorji’s appointment as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development was effective Friday 1, November 2019 as part of a holistic and aggressive business development drive the company is embarking upon.
According to Opayemi, “Uche Ugorji’s appointment is aimed at turbo-charging our bold client acquisition drive towards 2020 and beyond. He will effectively function as a Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with the mandate to give our 5-year business growth plan the leadership kick it requires. We see in Uche a man with incredible understanding of the art of selling, hence our decision to put him in charge of our growth train.”
The statement further disclosed that Ugorji’s choice was deliberate considering his robust cross-functional marketing communications background. “We have deliberately primed our business for the age of convergence and this is evident in the kind of work we do for clients and the kind of talents we retain to do them. We do not engage in run-off-the-mill PR works for our clients. We have fully embraced Edelman’s concept of 
Communications Marketing for our clients and so Uche is yet another bright example of the kind of talents we parade in Chain Reactions to deliver amazing results to our clients.”
In his reaction to the decision of the management of Chain Reactions to bring him on board, Uche Ugorji said, “I am super delighted at the opportunities ahead. I love the shared vision of Chain Reactions and the intentionality of its founder. It is bold and daring. I love the trajectory of the company, its international flavour in creed and in action. I love the company’s audacity to play big in not just Nigeria but in Africa. That is why I am in.”
Uche Ugorji has about 16 years of practical experience in the Marketing Communications industry within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He began his career in Public Relations with the then CMC Connect, now CMC Burson Cohn and Wolf before making a switch to core advertising as a strategic planner with Bluebird Communications. He later joined SO&U Saatchi & Saatchi where he was once described by one of the living legends of the industry, Udeme Ufot as “more than a Star but a genius!” upon his impressive performance on the Guinness account. This commendation came off the back of a character and dedication testimonial Uche had received from the Guinness Brand team in which he was described as a “rock” and a man who coulddeliver against incredibly impossible timelines”. The Guinness Marketing Manager at the timehad cause to describe Uche as a man who exudes “nothing else but a can-do attitude even at the craziest deadlines” within the Guinness brand team.
9mobile delights subscribers as it marks 11th anniversary
It was all fun and excitement for 9mobile customers, as the telco reached out to loyal subscribers during the week to appreciate them for staying with the network over the 11 years of its launch in Nigeria.
In its peculiar innovative way, 9mobile once more demonstrated how much a caring network it is when it delighted its customers with fantastic gifts including bonus airtime and data as well as special ‘9nniversary’ cakes.
Sharing their happiness after receiving the gift of special 9nniversary cakes in Lagos, two of the lucky customers – Teslim Gbajabiamila and Destiny James – expressed gratitude to 9mobile for the thoughtful gesture and pledged their continued loyalty to the brand.
Destiny James, a female customer said, “thanks so very much 9mobile for this kind gesture. I didn’t expect it, I really appreciate the cakes; most ladies love cakes” even as she commended 9mobile for its quality of service. “It’s all been good since I became a 9mobile customer. I don’t have any complaints; I’m happy with the quality of service,” she enthused.
Gbajabiamila was also full of appreciation for the telco for the special cake gift and stated that he had only positive things to say about the telco. “All my children use 9mobile lines, and it’s been good experiences all the way, both for voice and data,” he said.
Commenting on the 11th 9nniversary commemoration, Acting Director, Marketing, 9mobile, Layi Onafowokan, said the giveaways were9mobile’s way of saying thank you to its customers for keeping faith with the network.
New York-based IWEC Foundation appoints Firstbank’s Ibukun Awosika as President
The International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge Foundation (IWEC) has announced the appointment of Mrs. Ibukun Awosika to their Board of Directors as its New President. Awosika is the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s Premier and Leading financial services provider.
Awosika was elected to replace Miguel Valls, former President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and President of the IWEC Foundation, who passed away last month. “The Foundation is very excited to announce the appointment of our new president,” stated Ruth A. Davis, IWEC Chairwoman and distinguished former U.S. Ambassador. “Ibukun Awosika has had a solid, steady presence at IWEC since its inception, and she is also a past IWEC awardee. Ibukun has not missed one IWEC Conference since 2008 and has lent her voice and experience not only to our conferences, but to our meetings after joining our Board in 2017. We are delighted that our Board of Directors voted on her appointment, and we’ll introduce her as our President at our upcoming 12th Annual IWEC Foundation Conference in New Delhi, on November 10th.”
The Foundation’s 2019 Conference will focus on “Connecting Women Businesses Globally: Leading the Way to Innovation and Integration”. The event would be hosted locally by the FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO) of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), which represents over 5000 women 
entrepreneurs and professionals across India. This year, IWEC welcomes 39 awardees from 18 countries, with a combined revenue of over US$5.7 billion among all awardees to date.
IWEC Foundation Vice Chair, Carmen Castillo, CEO of SDI International, adds: “Ibukun has demonstrated a significant commitment to IWEC over the years. Her breadth of knowledge extends from being an entrepreneur running SOKOA Chair Centre Limited, to overseeing the Board of Directors for the renowned First Bank of Nigeria Limited. We are looking forward to her wise counsel and to continuously drive IWEC globally as a source of support, connection and impact for women business owners all over the world.”
