By Adewale Banjo
Brand Communicator has given awards to 50 outstanding women at the 10th anniversary of Women in Marketing and Communications (WIMCA) .
The event was the biggest gathering of female professionals in the marketing and communications industry.
Publisher of Brand Communicator and Convener of the initiative, Joshua Ajayi, described WIMCA as a leadership platform for insights and contemporary trends in engaging female consumers and recognising outstanding women, and corporate organisations, for their contributions to the growth of their various industries.
Ajayi said the will to win, the desire to succeed and the urge to reach one’s full potential are the keys that unlock the doors to personal excellence.
“As we celebrate the power of a community united by a common purpose and shared passion, as well as the strength that lies within it; as we gather here to herald a second decade, let us embrace this occasion with enthusiasm and optimism,” he said.
He expressed delight at this year’s event, saying, “It unlocked the potential within ourselves and positioned us to achieve that extra leap in line with the theme of the conference, ‘On Becoming More.’
“I strongly believe that with the quality of resource persons assembled, everyone has been positioned to make giant impacts in their lives.
“Celebrating our anniversary as we clock 10 years in the vanguard of relentlessly promoting women’s empowerment feels so good. We are extremely excited to share this milestone with everyone present and to take this moment to look forward to the future together.”
The award, which came alive with excitement, enthusiasm, cheers and applause, marked the climax of the 2024 WIMCA anniversary as esteemed brands such as Flour Mills of Nigeria, Standard Chartered, NNFems, Access Bank, Wema Bank, ADDMIE, Interswitch and others were honoured for their remarkable achievements and efforts in empowering women to succeed.
Flour Mills of Nigeria was recognised as the Most Outstanding Food Manufacturing Company in Gender Inclusion; the company’s FMN Women Network won an award as the Most Outstanding Women Community of the Year in the Food Sector Segment, while Golden Penny Semovita won the Most Outstanding Ball Food Brand in Consumer Engagement.
NNFems also won big as the Iconic Hair Care Manufacturing Company of the Year, while its brand, AVIV Hair, was recognised as Emerging Hair Extension Brand of the Year.
Another brand, Standard Chartered also won Most Outstanding Brand Supporting Women Owned Tech Business.
Wema Bank was recognised as the Most Outstanding Bank in Women Empowerment, while SARA by Wema won Most Outstanding Female Centric Bank Product of the Year.
Other top brands and agencies that were recognised and given award include Access Bank, ADDMIE, Interswitch, Cadbury, Gino Tomato, Chain Reactions Africa, Three Crowns, Mouka, Mamador, GAC Motors, Unilever, Nigerian Breweries, Mega Growth, Moniepoint and Cussons Baby, among others.
The evening also celebrated individuals whose work has significantly influenced the marketing and communications landscape, ensuring the voices of women are amplified in decision-making processes, such as Adesoji Omoigui, Nana Milagrosa, Roseline Abaraonye, Tola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi, Joke Adu, Comfort Obot Nwankwo, Victoria Uwadoka and others in the top 50 most influential women in marketing communications.
Outstanding individuals such as Omoefe Ohworakpo, Esosa Osagiede, Chioma Igwe, Martha Kayode, Ponmile Alabi and others were also recognised for their excellent performance in the individual category of the awards.