Business has no
gender – Nkechi Ali-Balogun
By CHRIS UBA
Monday, December 19, 2005
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•Mrs
Nkechi Ali-Balogun and her husband, Mahmood
Photo: The Sun News Publishing |
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As man thinketh in his heart so, he is (Proverbs). When Mrs
Nkechi Ali- Balogun entered into public relations, she made
up her mind that one day she would lead the association. Today,
she is the chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian
Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). Recently, in a chat,
she told Daily Sun what motivated her into the job of public
relations.
“When I joined the NEXIM Bank, I said to myself that
I would one day lead the association because right from childhood,
I have had the knack for interpersonal communications”,
she explained.
Background
I had my secondary education at the prestigious Mary Mount
College, Agbor, Delta State where I was brought up by white
Reverend Sisters. I hold Bachelor of Arts degree from University
of Lagos, a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from University
of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MBA in management from the same
university.
My foray into public relations started in 1994 when I had
the opportunity of heading the PR departments of two Nigerian
reputable banks: Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM Bank)
and Equitorial Trust Bank.
Before then, I had had a stint with the nation’s foremost
network, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) as a producer
and script writer/consultant. I also attended Public Relations
Management courses organised by Frank Jefkins School of Public
Relations London, NIPR, POTOMA and Lagos Business School.
I had before my election as the chairman of Lagos State chapter
of the NIPR, served in various capacities including, AGM Committee
2003, as chairman; Manpower and Training Committees as vice
chairman. Right from my early years in life, I have been involved
in communication, I thought in a secondary school for about
13 years before I went to work with NTA. So, you can see that
I did not start inter-personal communication today. I love
it and I am enjoying it.
What I do
I am the CEO of NECCI Consulting Lagos, whose special portfolio
include, General Management, Finance and Accounting, Sales
and Marketing, Public Relations and Media Management, Corporate
of Business Communications Information Management and Technology,
Executive development. In the course of my current job, I
have further developed indept knowledge of manpower development,
staffing and strategic management. We organise seminar and
workshops.
We did a training programme in October this year, on Public
Relations and Marketing. Our focus in this programme was to
showcase the synergy that exists between Public Relations
and Marketing. Every organization needs both public relations
and marketing functions. These functions are more effective
when they are properly integrated because they are equally
essential for organizational success. I have also worked with
NGOs both local and foreign. I have handled so many other
projects that I don’t want to mention here.
I don’t feel threatened working with men
I don’t know if I am working in a male-dominated profession.
I don’t know about that. All I know is that both male
and female have supported me. Any woman who knows her onions
has nothing to fear. If you know your onion, you are bold
and focused, people will look at what you can do and not your
gender. We have 30 women in Lagos chapter of NIPR who are
very effective in the activities of the association and are
well accomplished in their places of work. My husband is helping
me to succeed.
HowI was elected
Since 1994, I have been a member of NIPR. I have been watching
things, and I said one day I would lead the association. The
reason I did not contest immediately was that I wanted to
study and know more about PR before contesting for any position
in the association. I also needed to get the blessing of my
husband.
When I satisfied myself that I have knew enough, I contested
and won. I proposed to them that if I was elected chairman
of the chapter, I would carry the entire members along. While
providing leadership, I will not neglect the consensus of
the membership. My plan for action was proposed in my manifesto
christened: LEAP 2005. And I was elected. So, you see, the
issue is not about gender. It is about what you have to offer.
If people are convinced about you, gender becomes irrelevant.
My achievements
Before now, the Lagos State chapter of NIPR office used to
be in one room apartment. I felt that it was not befitting
for the associations. So, when I came in, I decided to put
the issue of accommodation in my agenda. You know, every person
coming in to lead the association must have an agenda. My
immediate past chairman’s agenda, for instance, was
focused on improving the association, which he succeeded in
doing.
So, I decided to focus on accommodation, and we have succeeded
in doing that. We moved into this place on December 1, 2005.
We are launching our website December 20. We will also, have
Gala Night the same date. We are going to make this chapter,
a second to none in the country. As you can see, this is a
new office. Our immediate past chairman donated the furniture,
like the air conditioners, he provided them.
What public relations is
PR is basically a communication function; a communication
between an organization and its public, and it is designed
to provide mutual understanding between an organisation and
its publics. I don’t want to use so much of professional
language. Every organisation relates with people, that is,
organization’s activities, and people who also affect
the organisation.
So, PR is meant to ensure that mutual understanding between
the two. As PR, you build goodwill and image for your organisation.
PR is a problem solver; it strikes at the root of problems.
PR is not about propaganda. It is more than publicity. It
is more than media relations which is just an aspect of it.
Society is not fair to women
Women, who have been given positions of responsibilities in
this country both in public and private sectors, are doing
very well. Those that have been given political assignment
are doing well also. However, for the Nigerian women, I must
say it is not yet Uhuru. The society has not been fair to
them. People see women in politics or PR as loose women and
because of this, many women are afraid of being labelled loose
people.
Some husbands will say: ‘Choose between politics and
home’. The issue of funding is another problem. Many
women don’t have money to fund campaigns. It is only
those women who have the backing of their husbands who have
freed their minds from the way society looks at the issue.
Otherwise many Nigerian women are afraid of man-made stigma,
what the society will say about a life of action that is good
for the society.
Women in business
The Nigerian women are beginning to hold their own in business.
Women are now giving it to men in terms of competition. Nigerian
women have suddenly discovered that business is not a gender
issue. Today, women know their onions; they now know how to
do feasibility study. They are much more exposed today than
before. Women will not do what men do to get collateral; women
do not have the heart to commit atrocities.
That is not to say that all women are saints. I commend the
Federal Government for the little it has done to encourage
the women. But I must request that the government provides
the same level ground for both men and women in the country.
No special preference should be given to women. Some women
are tied to the culture, these cultural constraints should
be removed. We could bend tradition a little bit to encourage
women. Tradition and customs have inhibited women in this
country. May be this will help them to contribute to the development
of the country.
PR is essentially a troubleshooter. It is like the air force
that clears the way for the infantry to take over. PR manager
or consultant, should not be used to clean up mess. If PR
practitioners are used properly there will be no problem at
all. The profession is about research to be able to dig into
roots of a problem for instance; I am involved in one project
in the North. The project is about sinking boreholes and providing
well water to help women who trek so many miles to fetch water.
We thought that by helping them they were going to rejoice
but we were wrong.
When the project was completed and commissioned, the women
did not come for the launch. They were not excited. It was
latter found out that they are women in pudah. The only time
they have freedom is when they are going to the stream to
fetch water. This is when they have opportunity to exercise
their body and stretch their legs and gossip and exchange
banters.
They did not do the analysis before embarking on the project.
If they did, they would not have wasted the effort. So, PR
requires research, time, and money to do a good job before
an organization can achieve its goals.
PR is management function
PR is a critical and complex job. So, the PR manager is a
complex position. If you are a professional to the core, you
will be asked to fire your organization to glory. For you
to do that, you must be in the management. A PR manager must
have an eye of the CEO. Unfortunately, some organizations
do not know this and they attach the PR to the administration
or legal department or marketing department. It should normally
be part of CEO office or a separate office that reports directly
to the CEO. Marketing deals with product, while PR deals with
corporate entity, it builds image for an organization and
its products.
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