As part of effort to recognize the immense contributions of its past leaders who had contributed to the growth of the association and the business of out-home in Nigeria, the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has concluded plans to honour these leaders at the maiden edition of Nite of the Legends coming up in Lagos.
The event which is scheduled to take place on the 9th of December, 2020 at the banquet of Lagos Country Club, Ikeja by 5pm is to honour three important personalities who had contributed greatly to the business and the association.
The personalities to honour at the event include: Chief Babu Akinbobola – a former president and the immediate past BOT Chairman of the association, posthumous awards will go to the first president and first BOT Chairman of the association, Late Pa. Simeon Olaghere and Late High Chief Jas Kolawole Oyekan who was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the association until his death.
Speaking on the event, the Publicity Secretary of OAAN, Mr. Tunde Oyekan, said it is necessary for the association to start recognizing its past leaders and heroes who have done the profession proud and had served diligently without blemish.
In his words: ‘’The event is basically to recognize our past leaders and heroes who have done the profession proud, the current executive council of OAAN decided in their wisdom that it is time to start appreciating and honouring our own starting with three of our past leaders both living and dead ones amongst them.
These three have shown quality leadership, they have given directions to the association and helped in their various capacities to build the enviable brand from Outdoor Advertising Contractors Association of Nigeria (OACAN) to Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) that we all love today.’’
He added that, ‘’Since the start of outdoor business which dates back to 1928, we have come a long way and in coming a long way, we have only and always been recognizing our stakeholders, clients and agencies leaving out those who in their various capacities brought the business of outdoor to where it is today, hence the birth of Nite of the Legends.”
According to the President of the association, Mr. Emmanuel Ajufo, the award is a reward system to encourage people to serve.
He said: “We believe that anybody who has worked and worked very hard should be appreciated. The association is about a hundred years old and if we have not had people in the past who held on to the practice, we probably won’t have anything called OAAN today.”
He explained further that in the past the association have been having poster awards in which they reward outsiders who have helped the sector and who have been excellent in whatever they have done.
“But now we feel we should have an internal award system for ourselves and that is what we are doing”, he said.
He added that, “We hope the association will be able to tie this to the poster award, so that as we are rewarding outsiders, we are also rewarding ourselves.
After this, the association is going to have a standard and a check list for people to reach before they can be rewarded.”
Nite of the Legends will be presided by one of the most decorated industry icon, Sir Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman TROYKA Holdings and the guest speaker is Mr. Babajide Ogunsanwo, a renowned Economic/ Data Analyst who will speak on the theme: Economic Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic: Coping and Surviving its Effects in OOH sub-sector.
The association has also invited all sectoral group heads and regulators to grace the occasion and the Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency, (LASAA) is expected to give a keynote address as a partner at the event.