Toast to an enduring visionary — Opinion — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

At eighty, and with an extended listing of excellent achievements as a radical skilled; coupled with an unyielding can-do spirit and character, Biodun Olusina Shobanjo deserves extra recognition and applause than he’s getting for his birthday. Simply, he’s a foremost promoting and communication practitioner who not solely excels on the commerce; he blazed the path in increasing the frontier of the occupation. And he impacted on virtually all segments of recent promoting professionals, in addition to selling promoting and communication schooling to the very best degree.

As many Nigerians have a good time the eightieth birthday of Biodun Olusina Shobanjo, we pay tribute to a titan of the Nigerian promoting trade whose affect has transcended the realm of selling communication. Shobanjo’s outstanding profession is a testomony to his unwavering dedication to excellence, creativity and mentorship, making him a beacon of inspiration for aspiring professionals throughout the nation.

Shobanjo’s illustrious journey started on the Nigerian Broadcasting Company (NBC), now often called Federal Radio Company of Nigeria (FRCN) the place he honed his abilities earlier than becoming a member of Grant Promoting in 1971. His visionary management led to the founding of Perception Communications in 1979, now Perception Redefini, which revolutionised Nigeria’s promoting panorama and set new requirements for creativity and innovation. Beneath his stewardship, Perception turned an integral a part of the Troyka Group, encompassing varied profitable ventures which have formed the advertising and marketing communication sector in Nigeria.

Shobanjo’s pioneering position within the improvement of the advertising and marketing communication trade is unchallenged, with a sequence of firsts. In 1990, he established The Quadrant Firm (now QuadrantMSL),Nigeria’s first Public Relations Consultancy, which subsequently led to the institution of the Public Relations Affiliation of Nigeria (PRAN). In the identical yr, he turned the primary CEO of an promoting company to arrange a second-line company, with the delivery of MC&A.

Once more, in 1997, he established the primary media unbiased firm in Nigeria, All Seasons MediaCom (now All Seasons Zenith), which was the anchor for the institution of Media Independents Practitioners Affiliation of Nigeria (MIPAN).  He was to later in 2005 arrange a second Media Impartial, Media Views (now Media Views Starcom).

Different specialist organisations in Troyka Group, which he based in 1989 because the holding and directing firm, embody Optimum Exposures (1984), an Out-Of-Dwelling firm; Promoworld (2005), a concession primarily based Out-Of-Dwelling firm, specialising in convergence space location and demography focused promoting; Hotsauce, a digital advertising and marketing outfit, which was established in 2011; an actual property firm, Black Onyx (2012) and Halogen Safety,an asset safety and useful resource administration firm (1992), which as we speak employs about 16,000 folks nationwide. Clearly, Shobanjo’s contributions have remodeled Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications and safety sectors whereas inspiring generations of pros.

In furtherance of his profound influence on each the trade and society, Shobanjo in 2014 donated the Biodun Shobanjo Centre of Excellence in Multi-media and Cinematography constructing on the College of Lagos. This state-of-the-art facility is greater than only a constructing; it symbolises his dedication to nurturing future generations of selling communication professionals. In an period the place academic establishments usually grapple with restricted assets, this beneficiant donation serves as a beacon of hope, underscoring the important position trade leaders play in shaping academic outcomes.

Shobanjo’s dedication to schooling displays a deep understanding of the challenges confronted by tertiary establishments coaching future professionals. By offering the cutting-edge facility in multi-media and cinematography, he ensured that lecturers and college students on the College of Lagos have a conducive studying atmosphere essential to thrive in an more and more aggressive subject.This initiative not solely elevates the standard of schooling but in addition fosters a tradition of innovation that’s important for the expansion of Nigeria’s promoting trade. Once more, Shobanjo’s donation of a constructing to UNILAG demonstrates that by investing in our youth as we speak, we’re securing a brighter future for them and for our society as an entire.

Past his skilled achievements, Shobanjo is revered for his mentorship and help of numerous people who’ve gone on to excel of their careers. His perception in empowering others has created a ripple impact all through the trade, inspiring younger professionals to attempt for excellence and integrity. As President Bola Tinubu aptly famous, Shobanjo exemplifies self-discipline and dedication, qualities that resonate deeply inside Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications sector.

Wanting forward, it’s crucial that Shobanjo continues to champion academic initiatives that empower younger minds. His imaginative and prescient ought to encourage others within the trade to comply with swimsuit, making a collaborative atmosphere the place academia and enterprise intersect for mutual profit.

On this momentous event of his eightieth birthday, we salute Biodun Olusina Shobanjo for his braveness, imaginative and prescient and unwavering dedication to excellence. Could he proceed to guide by instance and encourage future generations of selling communication professionals. We want him many extra years full of well being, happiness, and impactful contributions to each the trade and schooling.In celebrating his legacy as we speak, allow us to all commit ourselves to supporting initiatives that foster development, creativity and studying inside our communities.

The longer term shines brightly once we spend money on our youth and with leaders like Shobanjo guiding us ahead, we might be assured that outstanding achievements lie forward for Nigeria’s promoting trade.