African Market Gets Research Boost
By Justina Okpanku
The Chairman, Pan African Field Services Limited (Panafields) and Managing Direc-tor of Market Research Consultancy (MRC) Gro-up, Mr. Sola Akinnagbe, has said that the yawning gap in research practice in Africa will be a thing of the past soon.
Panafields, an international agency, has taken off to cure Africa's deficiency in the socio-economic and marketing information as well as contribute toward saving Africa from derision in the global comity of researchers.
Akinnagbe said that the move was a patriotic approach to prove to the world that Nigeria can be leaders in areas of intellectual competence and not financial crimes like 419 in local parlance.
Akinnagbe spoke this at a Press Conference/Take-off Luncheon of Pan African Fields Services Limited in Lagos, Friday.
It was also an event that featured a public lecture where Head, Coca Cola, Equatorial Tropical Africa (ETA) Territory, Mr. Seni Adetu delivered a paper titled "Imperatives of Cross-Cultural Marketing in Africa". While the Marketing Director, Coca Cola Nigeria Limited, Mr. Abraham Ninan unveiled Panafields' Logo, Vision and Mission Statements.
The Panafields idea is a partnership with local researchers and others at large. In the same vein, it recruits, trains, exposes, guides and supervises local field people in the fine traditions of fieldwork which the group has established so that the good job can round Africa thus providing reliable information such as socio-economic and marketing information throughout the continent.
Answering reporters' questions, Akinnagbe regretted that the Panafields idea is overdue. He however said that the effort is relevant as it will provide solid ground for research users to explore the ever growing African market.
The African agency which draws membership from countries in the African continent will open its office in Accra, Ghana because of its strategic location and other reasons.
But Akinnagbe explained that "without Nigeria taking the lead, Africa cannot attain its full potentials and our reproach as Blacks cannot be removed".
According to him, "It is a great privilege for MRC to be at the forefront in ensuring that contributions of Nigerians at various levels in Africa professionally speaking, especially in marketing are harnessed and turned to an advantage for the nation. We feel we should contribute to setting up an agency to make things happen in this part of the world. A desire to give something back to the industry so that other frontiers of research could further be developed. MRC and I will support the new company and nurture it to maturity in order to enable it to achieve its objectives."
Part of the reasons why Panafields is set up, the managing director said, include "Commitment to the industry and business based on the fact that this is our professional calling; and a unique career experience which places us in a unique position to help the entire industry forge ahead based on a revolutionary fieldwork approach that has been tested and proved over the years, a reason for MRC's success story to date.
"We have a desire to supporting the corps of excellent, committed , visionary field professionals in MRC to attain their full potentials. We are committed to render excellent services to Africa. By the grace of God we will not fail you, "he said.
The event was attended by leaders drawn from across the sectors.
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