AMRA Pursues Better Tomorrow for Africa through Research

Promoting African market via marketing of social and opinion research activities to the rest of the world, the African Marketing Research Association (AMRA), unified with Nigerian Marketing Research Association (NiMRA), sets to hold the third edition of its annual Africa Forum in Lagos.

The forum offers an opportunity for business magnates and for Africa’s brands seeking relevance and supplementary places.

The theme of the event: Building Tomorrow; Africa Leading would be held at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos from April 15 through 17 2019.

It would highlight futuristic rational and focus on great and innovative things trendy on the continent that move marketing and marketing research in the African market.

Chairperson, local organizing Committee and president of NiMRA, Joy Uyanwune incorporation of Secretary-General NiMRA, Paul Nnanwobu and Action Plan International Limited Project Comptroller, Yemisi Faleye said the platform would help in structuring a confident Africa for tomorrow.

According to her, “Researchers in the local market guide and shape the entry, sustenance, and growth of the myriads of brands and services that typically impact on people’s comfort and lifestyles.”

With headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, AMRA, the first two editions held in Johannesburg and Nairobi correspondingly. The event she said would feature a workshop, presentation and award night.

Uyanwune stressed that “Whereas research for Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) establishes an utmost proportion of research focus Africa, researchers that are fundamental to growth in other areas of the economy are not as common.

She further noted that “Marketing researchers can help the governments of Africa to develop systems that work for the countries, we can offer information and data that help governments to make good decisions in health care, agriculture, crime reduction, electricity, and other areas. We are asking marketing and social researchers to rise up to the occasion and take the bull by the horn, to develop Africa, using the knowledge and professional skills to develop Africa, and African forum is the coming together of minds to learn, connect and to move forward.”

Speaking on why opinion polling does not work in Africa/Nigeria, Nnanwobu was quick to state that it was due to headship, stressing, “Leaders define the road, and if a government is not interested in it, there is no way it would work. For example, if the Nigerian government decides that the country will be number five in technologically developed countries in Africa, all citizens would key into this.”

Uyanwune added that while some countries in Africa were recording escalation in government impact with enhanced private businesses and sponsorship for fresh talents and entrepreneurial drive, others are departing their countries in search of a better life with better infrastructures and social structures that inspire individual enlargement in western countries.

Stressing that, Governments in Africa do not depend on data to allow them to move further than they can move, and a lot of businesses do not appreciate marketing research, claiming ‘they are selling well’.

It is vital for brands to realize how information can give companies a good sense of direction, and also help to avoid an expensive mistake. However, if Africa is to lead in building our future, there is a need for the market research industry to rise up to achieve its posture as a change agent.

While replying to what the regular life span of given research is, considering the era of rapid change in consumer behavior, Uyanwune said it was dependent on the product and services as some have a shorter life span.

She said creating the average life span of research depends on certain variables and factors; like the lifestyle of the people, pointing out that some inquiries and participation interests have been received from over thirty countries to converge Nigeria to learn about Africa.

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