Accolades as Shobanjo receives Advertising Man of All Times award Friday

By NETA NWOSU
Top professionals in the advertising and marketing communications industry have  lauded the‘Advertising Man of All Times’ award to be presented on Friday to Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, chairman, Troyka Holdings, by The Sun Publishing Limited, as part of activities marking 40 years of indigenous advertising in Nigeria.
The President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mrs. Bunmi Oke, describes  Shobanjo  as a founding father of indigenous advertising in Nigeria, who has contributed enormously to the growth of the industry. She claimed that the awardee has the best structured manual for training advertising personnel in Nigeria.
“There was a time we were looking for a well-thought-out manual to train staff in our agency. We had to borrow from Mr. Shobanjo. His agencies boast of very strong advertising personnel. Most of the well-trained Ad practitioners in the industry today have gone through his tutelage.
I’m very much aware that he has created an impactful building capacity in the industry. I doff my hat for him, any day, any time. They will not ask you of Shobanjo,  and you say who is that?”
The AAAN President said  the  prospective Advertising Man of All Times is always ready to share his wealth of experience and has continued to guide her in the right direction as regards industry issues.
While speaking on the impending award, Chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Managing Director, Prima Garnet, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, said Shobanjo eminently deserves the award, taking into consideration the concept of the laurel and the person being awarded.
According to him, Shobanjo has impacted on the industry a great deal.
“He is a change agent.  Before Insight Communications were Lintas, OBM, Grant and a host of advertising agencies. Shobanjo left Grant with some of his subordinates like Jimmy Awosika to form Insight Communications. They were determined to change the face of advertising and they succeeded to a large extent. Their campaigns were daring and audacious; some worked, some didn’t work. But Insight Communications is still bold and strong. From Insight has come other vibrant agencies within the industry.”
The Vice Chairman of Troyka Holdings and Managing Director of Insight Communications, Mr. Jimmy Awosika had this to say: “Mr. Biodun Shobanjo is a creative chieftain, business development whiz kid and great people developer. Three quarter of the Chief Executive Officers of advertising agencies in the industry have worked with him at various times of their career. He is a man of values, integrity, intelligence and a stickler for excellence.”
Awosika, who has  worked with Shobanjo for almost 36 years, stated  proudly: “ I am Shobanjo’s boy”.
Applauding The Sun newspapers’ declaration of Biodun Shobanjo as Advertising Man of All Times, President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Mr.Ganiyu Koledoye said the award recipient is a ‘Marketing Titan’ of NIMN and deserving of the laurel by The Sun Publishing Limited.