As part of an ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) in conjunction with Media Independent Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) have carried out a joint health enlightenment campaign which aims at driving social awareness against kidney failure disease and to educate the populace on means to prevent and to treat the ailment.
The awareness campaign which took the form of a road walk brought together outdoor and media agency practitioners drawn from the two sister associations. The 7 kilometer walk exercise took off from premises of Lagos Television, Agidinggi, and stretched through to the Police College Ground, on Oba Akinjobi Way in Ikeja.
There was also a health talk session in the bid to create awareness and enlightenment on the deadly disease and to educate participants on preventive measures, management and the risk involved with kidney failures.
Speaking on the exercise, President of OAAN, Emmanuel Ajufo explained that the leadership of both associations had thought it necessary to raise public health awareness campaign focusing on the importance of the kidney, how to reduce the risks associated with the disease as well as how to manage the ailment.
“The two Associations have had a wonderful relationship and both of us believed that we should collaborate to help the industry come together for our collective growth and it is also part of our CSR to our host community. We agreed that kidney health is a major concern because a lot of us do not know how important it is to take care of our kidneys. So we decided to plan to hold it at this period so that it can coincide with World Kidney Day. The benefit is enormous.”
Ajufo also revealed that the health exercise was scheduled to hold on 16th October 2021, but was postponed to this year, to commemorate this year’s World Kidney Day which holds 2 March annually.
Outdoor practitioners who participated at the Health Walk noted that it was beneficial and should be encouraged. Nnodim Ambrose, of Marketing and Media Ltd, commended the organisers while calling on other sectors to follow the trend.
“Most of us are getting old. We need to exercise to be agile to enable us to do our work. It encourages those with kidney disease, obesity, and diabetes to exercise more. That is the essence of this. It helps to get rid of toxins in our bodies. Instead of annually, it should be bi-annually or quarterly. It is part of networking within the industry. I encouraged other sectors to adopt and emulate this because it is a good thing.”
Rilwan Ajiferuke, General Manager, Plural Media and Technology Ltd, was elated that it has allowed the practitioners to carry out compulsory exercise, which was restricted by their busy schedules.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for one to get the body alive again if one has not been doing that before. I believe that it should be a continuous exercise. It is something that should be encouraged. It even allows some bonding as well. Beyond the regular daily routine of our career, and you are not able to have an opportunity to flex the muscle, this is a fantastic opportunity and I believe it should be an annual event” he added.
