By Moses Nosike

The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has announced the flag-off of its coaching and mentoring programme, aimed at dealing with the dearth of experienced marketing professionals at the lower and middle marketing management levels.

Speaking at a virtual launch of the programme,  the institute’s President and Chairman of the Council, Prince Tony Agenmonmen explained that the programme was one of the marketing institute’s ways of closing  skill gaps in the profession, and passing down quality professional baton to the younger  marketing elements.

He attributed the falling standards in the profession today to  the fact that younger marketers  no longer enjoy the kind of mentoring and support, their senior colleagues used to receive formally and informally in their  early days of their careers.

Agenmonmen explained that the programme would afford budding marketing practitioners the opportunity to learn from the older and more accomplished practitioners, through proper mentorship and adequate coaching.

“I am proud to say that Nigeria is blessed with very highly professional marketing practitioners, many of whom have distinguished themselves, internationally. But this is only part of the story.

“I have had many senior marketing people agonise about the dearth of experienced marketing professionals at the lower and middle marketing management levels. It has always worried me, and I guess also many of us that have had the privilege of being developed and groomed.

“I am persuaded that we should not just continue to agonise and worry. It is our duty and responsibility to do something and to pass on the rich legacy of the training, coaching and mentorship that we got. Part of that ‘something’ is what we are doing now,” he stated.

While stressing the need for organisations to have good marketing professionals to be able to meet their corporate aspirations,  the NIMN boss believed the institute’s mentoring  process would  go a long way in linking experienced managers in the industry with less experienced ones, across companies and states, so as to foster career development and professional growth of the young managers.