Chizzy Ibebuike is a graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Gradually, she started rising on the job and today she is the Marketing Director/Representative (Nigeria) at Empowerment Plus Institute (EMPIN).

In this interview with Saturday Vanguard Business, she relates her experiences over the years as Marketing Director representing Nigeria abroad. Her experience in marketing has led to say that for any economy to grow and develop, there must be rightful combination of enlightened policies, capable administration and a sound empowerment infrastructure. Excerpts:

As the Marketing Director/Representative (Nig.) at EMPIN, what is your experience so far?

As the Marketing Director/Representative(Nig) at Empowerment Plus Institute(EMPIN), my experience has been so tremendous. I believe that nations must build capacity at home for the sake of their own development and to compete better abroad. Economic growth is achieved through the right combination of enlightened policies, capable administration, and an active private sector.

The process includes developing a transparent, efficient and stable management system; sound financial institutions and a core of trained able individuals in various professions – Changes often collectively referred to as ‘’empowerment’’…

Economic growth is achieved through a sound empowerment infrastructure. EMPIN’s mission  is to promote the levels of professional competence and capacity in all nations so that professionals may achieve practical solutions to common problems in ways that suit their nations’ own needs.

What are your major responsibilities as the Marketing Director?

My main responsibilities as the marketing manager of EMPIN is to do market research as well as getting potential/prospective participants for our training both in Nigeria and abroad…creating awareness and sending out letters of business proposals to various ministries, government parastatals, multilateral international organisations, project managers, members of parliaments, judicial branches, lawyers and so on. I also register prospective participants and handle the publicity and advert area of the organisation.

How does empowerment Plus operate?

Empowerment plus institute is a world leading capacity building firm with over eight years of experience in providing specialized and highly rated training in the areas of information technology, governance, public procurement, finance, leadership, compliance and monitoring.

EMPIN’s training and consulting programmes are conducted by adjunct faculty and advisors, a body of over 300 professionals of all nationa-lities from government, academia, multilateral organisations and private sectors. Headquatered in Houston, TX, USA. EMPIN is currently working in United States, Canada, Mexico, South Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana, Iran, Afghanistan,Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil.

EMPIN recognises that the need for training is great and cannot always be done in Texas.The institute is prepared to address this need by sending teams all over the countries to provide training.

How do you see the future of marketing in Nigerian economic environment?

The future of marketing in Nigerian economic environment is very bright and there are prospects for improvement in the nearest future based on the high growing population. Nigeria has a large unexplored markets, attractive  government incentives and growing affluence. The recent advancement in technology has aided the free flow of goods and services as well as information amongst businesses  and institutions, thereby turning the marketing environment into global village.

What is your advice to marketing firms both home and abroad?

My advice to marketing firms home and abroad are, since the changing social and economic conditions in the technologically advanced countries were fundamental in the development and evolution of the marketing concept, in spite of the fact that the concept evolved in the advanced countries, the boundaries of marketing have extended remarkably to different frontiers.

It is pertinent to note that the power of marketing is the same, but there exist qualitative and quantitative differences, depending on the particular situation at hand in a given country. There are prospects for generating profit and marketing potentials from every business venture.

Therefore, the more you sell, the more profit you make. You have to be innovative and creative. There’s always the need to sell off what you have today to avoid the obsolescence of tomorrow and also try to beat your competitors in the game of being the first to offer the product of tomorrow, or at least a better product.