- Ekwunife Okoli, former marketing director Guinness Nigeria, has passed too
The Regional Chief Executive Officer, Omnicom Media Group West and Central Africa (WeCA), Tolu Ogunkoya, who was also a member of the editorial board of The Industry Newspaper, has been announced dead by mediaReach OMD Nigeria.
Ogunkoya was reportedly passed on after a protracted illness in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, April 26th, 2023. Until his demise, Ogunkoya was also the chairman of Audience Measurement Board, a committee set up by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure effective electronic and digital media management.
A respected integrated marketing communications professional, Ogunkoya, former President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), area of specialization includes Media, Advertising, Marketing, Communication.
Tolu as he was fondly called by friends and admirers, operated as the Regional Managing Director of Omnicom Media Group WeCa with offices in Lagos, Accra and Cameroon and partner offices in 3 other locations across West & Central Africa, overseeing 2 large Media Companies mediaReach OMD and PHD Media, the biggest media agency Network in Nigeria but unarguably in West & Central Africa.
Ogunkoya graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honors) degree in Political Science from the University of Ilorin in 1988. He has since then pursued an advertising career which kicked off at Insight Grey, followed by SO&U Saatchi & Saatchi.
He has in the last 27 years been on several executive education programs. Notably at Ashridge in the United Kingdom where he had his post graduate studies in general management and the AMP program at the Lagos Business School (LBS).
He has also served as a resource person on many of APCON & MIPAN’s training programs. He is a member of the Institute of Directors Nigeria.
Ogunkoya who had plied his trade in SO&U as planning manager also worked at Insight Communications (now Insight Redefini).
He was born on December 12, 1964.
In another unfortunate incident, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has announced the passing of former marketing director of Guinness Nigeria, Ekwunife Okoli.
Okoli, whose landmark marketing initiative at Guinness Nigeria was the Michael Power adventure was named head of juror at Nigerian Marketing Awards (NMA) in 2022.
Ekwunife, founder of Advantage Consult Limited has had over 30 years consumer goods industry Experience in a wide cross section of over 20 African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, Ethiopia, Angola, Mozambique etc. Strong FMCG commercial and Brand Marketing experience with last 10 years as CEO of large consumer goods markets including last 4 years as a Regional Managing Director. Significant corporate governance experience.
He has held executive and non-executive board positions in various Diageo Publicly quoted subsidiaries including Guinness Nigeria plc, Guinness Ghana and Seychelles Breweries Ltd.
Strong experience of effective Corporate Governance in difficult geographies, and fully cooked in Diego’s acclaimed values-driven business culture, and compliance agenda.
Very passionate about Africa and its potential business and social opportunities.
