Signage Industry: Viable Yet Unscratched

Maduako JohnKenneth or J.K. as he is fondly called by friends and colleagues is the Marketing Manager at Light Level Ltd, a signage manufacturing company. He shares with Ndubuisi Eluwa the challenges of the signage industry in Nigeria.

My name is JohnKenneth Uzodinma Maduako. I graduated from Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma where I obtained a B.Sc in Accounting. However, before going to study Accounting I worked with 7Up Bottling Company as a sales administrator for 13 years. In this capacity I was responsible for collecting daily sales, stocktaking for 3 depots and vehicle maintenance. I was exposed to in-house and outside trainings and, had opportunity of working with Managers on route ride. I would say my position then exposed me to the nitty-gritty of marketing and I developed a flair for it.
My venturing into Marketing was actually planned and not coincidental as some may think. After my stay at 7Up, I went ahead to study Accounting because I didn’t want to be shortchanged in deals that were accounting related while marketing. Moreover I believe in diversity; I love challenges and I like things that I enjoy doing, and Marketing for me is all that. It brings out and sharpens your hidden talents and improves your presentation skills. I must say it has been wonderful practicing Marketing in this industry. There have been some gains and there have been some pains but the joy lies in a person’s ability to manage the two. So far, there have been no regrets.
The signage industry in Nigeria is quite wide but yet untapped. To a very large extent individuals and corporate entities need signage to be known. It is relevant to virtually every facet of human venture and has been growing gradually. Back in the early 80s signage business was largely unknown but as people began to get exposed to developed countries they began to see how viable it was and when they returned they began to take advantage of it. I recall that the first indigenously cut vinyl was in 1992 by Light Level Ltd, which is one of the pioneers of modern signage in Nigeria.
There are so many challenges that have bedeviled the industry for a long time now.
First is the lack of regulation. There is no constituted body that regulates the industry. Quality is not regulated so also price and material. This has impacted negatively as road side practitioners keep messing things up.
Secondly, no school in Nigeria has signage making in its curriculum and as such people cannot get academic training in signage making. This has impacted negatively in two ways: One is that it makes mobility of labour difficult. For instance, I cannot move to any location of choice and start signage business because I cannot readily see practitioners that I can work with. The other is that signage companies always have to train their personnel after recruiting them because they know next to nothing about signage making.
Thirdly, fear of LASAA, which is mostly as a result of ignorance on the part of clients on what LASAA stands for in outdoor media in Lagos. There is also the challenge of acquiring modern equipment. The industry is dynamic and it costs a lot to bring in updated equipments which are sold in hard currency. Then, manpower is also a challenge as young professionals don’t see signage making as reputable so they shy away from it.
As a way out, we look forward to having a regulatory body to bring sanity to the industry so that things can be better organized. Also, government should factor sign making into the curriculum so that young people can get trained in school. If these things are taken care of, the signage industry can be another gold mine which government and individuals can tap into.
When I am not working, I socialize. I can go to a viewing centre to view football matches especially when my teams are playing or I may decide to sit at home with my family and watch wrestling matches.
My hobbies include travelling, meeting people and making friends.