Metro
NIJ Student Emerges First Future Brand Idol
By: Ajibade Morakinyo
The maiden Idol of Future Brand Idol (FBI), a creativity contest for students studying communication, advertising, and other related courses in Integrated Marketing Communication, has emerged from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism.
With Amisu Damilola, a student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, emerging winner of the contest and first Future Brand Idol; Popoola Tobi, student of University of Ibadan, came first runner-up; students of University of Ilorin, Macaulay Tolulope & Alilu Favour, came second and third runner-up respectively; and another NIJ student, Owodunni Mosopefoluwa emerged fourth runner-up among over 80 students across 11 tertiary institutions that participated in the contest.
NIJ Advertising and Public Relations lecturer, Mr. Amaso Jack; the winner, Amisu Damilola; Founder Noah’s Ark, Mr. Lanre Adisa, & NIJ Marketing Lecturer, Mr. Akin Ojo
The award’s pitch and ceremony which recently held in Lagos is an initiative that affords students of mass communication and other marketing communication related courses across Nigeria opportunity and experience of practical advertising.
According to the Head of FBI organizers, Ahmed Abdullahi, the initiative is set to bring professionals in the advertising industry closer to students towards providing a viable platform for Nigerian students who are interested in Advertising and Public Relations to be exposed and well-bred while on campus.
“The initiative does not only have focus in creativity contest, it also aimed at facilitating students’ interactive session with experts, workshop and seminar for students, providing mentorship opportunity for students, and getting them quality information in their field of study.
“By doing so, we will attract scholarships, internship, mentorship opportunity, and open them to greater opportunities which will help nurture them and make them useful for the society and the industry they found themselves,” he said.
The Future Brand Idol team head, Ahmed Abdullahi, winner 2019 Future Brand Idol, Amisu Damilola, and Noah’s Ark Founder, Mr. Lanre Adisa, presenting the contest award to the winner
Speaking about how the winners were chosen, he made it known that the organizers are not in support of favoritism which made them have an experienced jury members like Noah’s Ark CEO, Mr. Lanre Adisa; O2 Academy Provost, Mr. Ozoemena ‘Ozone’ Mbanefo; ID8 Academy MD, Kehinde Salami; Seyi Owolawi; Bisi Aweda; Jumoke Akinyele; and Suziette Ukey-Agazie, which are independent of any institution that participated in the competition.
He thereby urged the winners to maximize the opportunities made available to them and that this will help the organisers to record success stories.
Also, the Founder of Noah’s Ark and a Grand Jury member of the competition, Mr. Lanre Adisa, who described the initiative as ‘a good one’ encouraged the winners to ‘try harder’ because this is just the beginning of their career in advertising.
“This is not a guarantee that the winners would get a job in advertising because it is what they do with themselves that will definitely make them relevant in the industry,” he said.
Group session of NIJ students and lecturers with the winner, Amisu Damilola
The overall winner, Amisu Damilola, disclosed that the competition has definitely encouraged her to pursue more in advertising – an industry she had loved since her year two in NIJ.
“The competition boosted my zeal for advertising to another level and with the scholarships it has afforded me, I will ensure I harness the opportunities towards building my potential in advertising,” she said.
The overall winner and the first runner-up were awarded scholarship from O2 and ID8 Academy; the second and third runner-up also got scholarship from ID8 Academy; and the fourth runner-up secured an internship slot at Withoutabox PR.
The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has condole with families of the victims of the fuel tanker fire which occurred at the Dikko junction in Niger state on Saturday, charging tanker operators to always adhere strictly to safety standards and observe due protocols in transloading fuel products.
In his reaction to the fuel tanker incident, according to a statement signed by the Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the Corps Marshal described the human losses to the inferno as disheartening and disastrous, warning that such incidents must never be allowed to happen again.
The Corps Marshal expressed worry that despite sustained enlightenment programs carried out by the Corps with the tanker drivers on the need to be safety conscious while transporting petroleum products due to their inflammable nature and the general public to stay away from scenes of tanker crashes, many people could still fall victims of the Saturday’s unfortunate tanker incident. While recalling that 73 burnt bodies have so far been recovered by the rescue teams for final burial as arranged by the Niger State Government, the Corps Marshal revealed that the FRSC teams have been directed to sustain the joint operations with other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective management of traffic at the scenes in order to prevent further incidents.
In the same vein, the accident investigation unit of the Corps will work in collaboration with other agencies to unravel the causes and proffer solutions that could address future occurrence. “Meanwhile, those that sustained various degrees of injury have been taken to different hospitals including Suleja General Hospital for further medical attention as normalcy has returned to the area with free movement of traffic,” the Corps Marshal stated.
Shehu Mohammed stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration and robust engagement with members of the public including critical stakeholders to ensure that the nation does not witness this level of human losses again, especially when the incident could have been prevented by strict adherence to due diligence. “The nation was yet to recover from similar incident that occured in Jiagawa last year, and having to witness another incident of this magnitude at the beginning of the new year is painful and regrettable,” he further stated.
The Corps Marshal assures Nigerians that the FRSC will continue to work with the relevant stakeholders and members of the public to find lasting solutions to all road-based emergencies and called for involvement of all Nigerians in the joint efforts to ensure safety and security of lives and property of road travelers.
While praying God for repose of the souls of all those that lost their lives to the inferno, the Corps Marshal appeals for support to the families of the survivors in the various hospitals to ensure their quick recovery. He further commiserate with the people of Niger state and commended the prompt intervention of the Executive Governor of Niger State who was physically present at the scene.
In furtherance of its ongoing scheme to excite and reward its subscribers across the country, Globacom, on Friday, in Abuja, held another draw to select winners in its Festival of Joy consumer promotion.
The draw, held at the Gloworld, Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse, had the presence of several observers including Glo subscribers, members of the media and Martin Oteh who led officials of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to witness the process.
The company had before now presented prizes to winners in several cities since the promo started in October 2024, enabling hundreds of Nigerians who won various prizes to end the year 2024 on a joyful note.
As is the tradition since the start of the promo, the draw precedes the prize presentation exercise, which is to be done on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at the same Glo office at Wuse, Abuja. The lucky subscribers include the winner of a brand new Toyota Prado and winners of tricycle, sewing machines, generators and grinding machines.
Globacom encouraged new and existing subscribers to dial *611# to opt into the promo and to also keep recharging (voice and data) during the promo period, in order to be eligible to win the prizes on offer. New subscribers can participate immediately by purchasing a new SIM, registering it and dialing *611#.
“New and existing customers are to recharge up to N100, 000 cumulatively during the promo period to qualify for the draw for the Prado Jeep, N50, 000 cumulative recharge for Kia Picanto, N10, 000 in a month for tricycle and N5, 000 total recharge in a month to win a generator. For the sewing machine, a total recharge of N2, 500 in a month is required, while for the grinding machine, a recharge of N1,000 in a week will be eligible for the draw”, the company noted.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked lands allocated to Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, his Bayelsa counterpart Douye Diri, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen.
The minister’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, said the withdrawal of the R-of-O for 568 allottees followed the expiration of a two-week grace period to pay their C-of-O bills.
He noted that of the 3,273 allottees initially given two weeks in October 2024 to pay their bills, 568 remained in default after an additional grace period expired on January 15.
Also affected are the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Ibrahim Hadejia; former governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, Senate Leader; Opeyemi Bamidele, Senate Minority Leader; Abba Moro, Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Industry Trade and Investment; John Eno, Chairperson/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM); Abike Dabiri-Erewa; late Sports Minister Bala Kaoje; and Regina Akume, wife of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
The fresh revocation comes three weeks after the initial withdrawal of 762 plots of land from their allottees.
