Mr. Udeme Ufot, MFR, the Co-Founder and Group Managing Director of SO&U Limited, a foremost integrated marketing communications Group in Nigeria has been honored with an Advertising Legend award.
MARKETING EDGE, Nigeria’s leading and globally renowned magazine, honored the esteemed advertising expert during the 2023 edition of their annual Brands and Advertising Excellence Awards, now named EDGE Awards. This recognition was well-deserved and marked the Grand Finale of the magazine’s 20th-anniversary celebrations. The event took place at the prestigious The Podium Event Center in Lekki, Lagos.
The award was presented to Mr. Ufot by another legendary figure in the advertising industry and entrepreneur, Sir Steve Bamidele Omojafor, OON, Chairman of the STB McCann Group, who served as the Special Guest of Honour at the Awards Night.
The decision to recognize Mr. Ufot with this prestigious award was based on a thorough examination of his remarkable professional journey and entrepreneurial endeavors, which have been highly inspiring and impactful. According to the organizers of the EDGE Awards, Mr. Ufot holds a BA in Industrial Design from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, as well as certificates in Management from the Swedish Institute of Management and the Chief Executive Programme of the Lagos Business School (LBS). His career includes notable positions at Insight Communications and CASERS, where he co-founded SO&U in 1990. Today, SO&U is one of Nigeria’s leading marketing communications groups, known for its professionalism and creativity, with Mr. Ufot serving as Group Managing Director and contributing to policy formulation and management.
Additionally, Mr. Ufot has held various executive positions in the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), including Vice President and President in 1997 and 1999, respectively. He is also a Board Member of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), where he chairs the board communications & media subcommittee. Furthermore, he serves as the private sector Co-Chairman of the Policy Commission on Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Creative Industries, and Sports (THECS) of the NESG. He is a member of the Leadership team of M&C Saatchi Africa and chairs the Advisory Board of the School of Media & Communication at Pan Atlantic University, Lagos. Mr. Ufot has also been a past President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA), Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and a member of the Board of Special Olympics Nigeria.
Notably, Mr. Ufot previously served as the Board Chair of LEAP Africa, a leading non-profit organization focused on developing leadership and entrepreneurial skills among youth in Africa. Additionally, he is the Chairman of the board of Ibom Icon Hotel and Resort in Uyo, one of Nigeria’s prominent conference, golf, and leisure resorts. His contributions to the corporate sector earned him the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) award from the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2014.
Mr. Ufot is married to Professor Dorothy Udeme Ufot, SAN, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a Professor of Law, and they are proud parents of Aniekan and Dorothy Jnr.
Sir Omojafor, while presenting the award, expressed that it was a well-deserved honor for Mr. Ufot, considering his significant accomplishments and lasting impact on the advertising industry. He recalled Mr. Ufot’s succession from him as the President of the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), now the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), and anticipated a positive repeat of history when Mr. Ufot would take over as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of AAAN in November of the same year. He commended MARKETING EDGE, the EDGE Awards Board, and all involved for their accurate and meaningful selection.
In response, Mr. Udeme Ufot expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the EDGE Awards, emphasizing that the recognition was both humbling and exciting. He pledged to use this honor as motivation to continue making positive contributions to the advertising industry, Nigeria, and humanity.
Joining Sir Omojafor in presenting the award to Mr. Udeme Ufot were Professor (Mrs.) Dorothy Ufot, SAN (the awardee’s wife); Prince Dozie Mbanefo, Managing Director of New Crystal Communications (Chairman of the occasion); as well as Mr. John Ajayi, Publisher/CEO of MARKETING EDGE, and his wife, Mrs. Olubunmi Ajayi.
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