My Biggest Mistake is My Failed Marriage… That Mistake Still Has a Rippling Effect on Me
Well-grounded in marketing communications, Kikelomo Atanda-Owo has been impacting the sector for over 18 years with her versatility. Atanda is also the founder and host of “RealTalkWithKike” on radio and TV. Her impact extends beyond her profession as she supports single mothers and widowers through “Kike Hub Foundation”. The CEO of ZEdge Consulting, which specialises in organisation, strategic market planning, and supply chain consultancy among others, talks to Azuka Ogujiuba about the state of things in the Nigerian communication industry, way forward for Nigeria in terms of good image, her take on PR/Advertising practices in Nigeria and vision for Z-Edge among others
With over 18 years in Marketing Communication, do you think we are getting ad copies, rebranding, and general image building right in Nigeria? Tell us about the quality of work being put out by the industry
Speaking from experience, Nigeria is gradually advancing in these areas. More experts are delving into these areas of communication. Thus far, we are being compared with advanced countries with higher expertise in integrated marketing communications. We can get better. However, the structure is one thing that sets us back. Part of it is the legal framework for and parenting of content because of content piracy and content theft.
What’s the one thing you wish your clients or Nigerians understand about PR and advertising?
Advertising and Public relations in Nigeria is another sphere entirely. In advertising, we are pulling our wits but in public relations, I think we are still grappling with professionalism and sensitivity and that plagues almost every institution. At the federal governmental level, the way the government communicates with the people shows poor PR in terms of sensitivity and professionalism. Even in private companies and business enterprises, company managers and owners don’t care about their customers and clients in the public. They shove a different kind of rubbish at them when they want to exhibit their monopolistic tendencies that put buyers or end-users at their mercy. For advertising, we can get better but at PR, we are below standard and we need to advance our ethics in PR.
What’s the vision for your firm, Z-Edge Consulting?
The vision of Z-Edge can be spoken about from the idea that led to its birth. First of all, Z-Edge is a legacy for generations. The name Z represents Zion my first child and beyond its primary functions and values that the company gives in terms of consulting, executive training, procurement, foreign resource facilitation, and event management. Z-Edge is the generational legacy of professionalism and value. The vision is to ensure that the legacy of Z-Edge transcends generation and continues to give value to humanity across the globe with professional standards.
Kamala Harris became America’s first black vice president, the highest-ranking female official in U.S. history. Do you think this is feasible in Nigeria given the fact that Nigerian politics is male-dominated? Also, how do we get more women to participate in politics?
This is a topic I’ve grossly debated and discussed on my show and platform more vigorously in March when I dedicated the full month to promoting African women and their exploits. The response is this: Yes, it is feasible for Nigeria to produce a female Vice President given the terrain of the male-dominated political landscape. However, the factor required is time and participation. There are several women in the political sphere of Nigeria and they haven’t been doing badly. They have been conscientious and compassionate about Nigerians. However, for a female to get to the position in question, it requires a track record of integrity from the few female politicians on the stage now, the tenacity of non-participants to get involved in politics, and further sensitisation of the female public on its possibility. Women need to understand and accept their core responsibility of creating the desired change they want to see in our society. The understanding of their roles and the assumption of that obligation will enable this to come to pass.