National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elected new members of the council at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Ibadan, Oyo State.
A council member, Dr. Chidi Nwankpa has been re-elected as a Council Member of the NIMN.
His re-election was confirmed following an electoral process that took place recently during the Institute’s AGM.
The Institute concluded its three-day conference with a comprehensive election, which also saw Mrs. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi and Mr. Walter Okafor emerge as the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President respectively and two additional Council members who were all elected unopposed.
Declaring him unopposed, the Chairman, Electoral Committee, Mr. Shuaib Abubakar stated that Dr. Nwankpa fulfilled the constitutional requirement of clinching 87.5% vote cast.
Dr. Chidi Nwankpa is a distinguished Management Scholar and Marketing Professional with over 20 years of post-qualification and managerial experience in both the private and public sectors of Nigeria. His career spans various fields, including logistics, media marketing, insurance, consultancy services, and public service. He is also the Founder of Real Value Consultancy Services Limited.
A Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria, Dr. Nwankpa is a current member of the Institute’s Governing Council and Investigative Panel. Additionally, he is affiliated with the Canadian Institute of Marketing.
Dr. Nwankpa holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a specialization in Management and Leadership Studies from the University of Port Harcourt. His doctoral thesis focused on leadership styles and organizational performance in the Nigerian public sector. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in General Management from the University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.
Throughout his career, Dr. Nwankpa has served in various capacities within the NIMN. He has held positions such as Chairman of the Body of Fellows Committee for the Review of the NIMN September 2013 Governing Council Elections, Chairman of the NIMN Governing Council Electoral Committee (2014-2015), Chairman of the NIMN Rivers State Chapter (2016-December 2022), Member of the NIMN Events Committee (2017-2021), Member of the NIMN Disciplinary Tribunal (2021-2022), and Chairman of the NIMN Government Relations and Advocacy Committee (2020-2023).
Beyond his contributions to NIMN, Dr. Nwankpa is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Ukwa Leadership Accountability Association (ULAA), a civil rights and sociopolitical advocacy group dedicated to promoting quality representation and leadership accountability at all government levels.
Dr. Nwankpa has participated in several developmental learning courses both locally and internationally, including the Michael Porter Course on Strategy & Competitiveness at Robert Kennedy College/Harvard Business School (2010), an Intellectual Property Course at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Academy in Geneva, Switzerland (2010), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC – COP 28) in Dubai, UAE (2023).
Meanwhile, Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi has been elected as the First Vice-President, and Walter Okafor as the Second Vice-President, of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN). Both candidates were elected unopposed during the Annual General Meeting of the Institute, held today at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Ibadan Oyo State.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Mr. Shuaib Abubakar, confirmed their election and announced that both candidates achieved the required percentage of votes according to the provisions of the electoral act. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi secured 54 out of 56 votes, representing approximately 98% of the total votes, while Walter Okafor received 53 out of 56 votes, or 97% of the total.
Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi brings an impressive 25-year career in marketing and management to her new role. She has extensive experience managing multi-billion-naira budgets and has held significant positions at global companies such as Guinness Nigeria PLC (Diageo) and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited.
Throughout her career, she has successfully developed and managed numerous global brands, demonstrating her expertise in sustainability, turnaround, and growth. Bolajoko’s deep passion for brand building and her extensive marketing knowledge make her a respected figure in the industry. She is also a seasoned trainer and workshop facilitator.
Beyond marketing, Bolajoko is a certified coach from the Coaching Academy UK, excelling in Personal Performance Coaching. This unique combination of skills allows her to deliver outstanding results in her professional endeavors. She is a dedicated leader, mentor, and coach, actively involved in people development. Her commitment to empowering others led her to establish the Every Girl Empowered Foundation, which supports young girls with low self-esteem and confidence.
Bolajoko’s academic achievements are equally notable. She holds a degree in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University, graduating with a second-class Upper degree in 1997, and an MBA from the University of Lagos.
Additionally, she has a Diploma in Professional Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK) and is currently pursuing a Doctoral degree in Business and Entrepreneurship. Bolajoko is a member of several esteemed professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), NIMN, ARCON, WIMBIZ, and the International Coach Federation (ICF) Nigeria Chapter.
Walter Okafor, a graduate of Marketing from the University of Nigeria, has also attended professional courses at the London Business School and Harvard Business School. With 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and nutrition across Nigeria, West Africa, and Europe, Walter has proven his ability to deliver results and build strong interpersonal relationships. He has demonstrated technical marketing skills, effective communication, problem-solving abilities, and high integrity throughout his career.
Walter’s leadership experience includes developing sales and marketing strategies across West Africa, managing teams of over 100 employees, and overseeing business divisions with revenues exceeding N20 billion. After a successful career at Nestle Nigeria Plc, where he retired as the Commercial Manager of Nestle Water in 2013, Walter founded Kenwaltz Resources Limited, a marketing consultancy firm specializing in outsourcing, recruitment, manpower development, marketing and sales consultancy, and event management. He also serves as the Executive Director (Sales & Marketing) at Acurex Diagnostics Limited.
Walter is an active member of the NIMN, where he is a fellow and former Ikeja Chapter Chairman, as well as a former Council member of the Institute’s Board. Additionally, he is a Council member of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) and a Non-Executive Board member of Ukpor Micro-Finance.
