By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
A Professor of Marketing at Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Elijah Ebenehi Ogbadu, has challenged marketers and policymakers to deploy “countermarketing” as a strategic tool against poverty, insecurity, unemployment and other social ills threatening Nigeria’s development.
Ogbadu made the call on Tuesday while delivering the university’s 25th inaugural lecture, titled “Marketing, A Societal Saviour: Charting the Course for Future Nigeria,” at the University Auditorium, Anyigba.
The don argued that marketing could no longer be confined to selling, advertising and distribution, stressing that the discipline had evolved into a powerful instrument for shaping behaviour, improving consumer welfare and promoting sustainable development.
He said businesses must look beyond profit as the primary measure of success, maintaining that profitability should emerge from responsible practices that create genuine value for consumers and society.
According to him, marketers have a responsibility to build trust through transparency, fairness, accountability and ethical conduct, particularly at a time when public confidence in institutions is under increasing pressure.
Ogbadu identified poverty, corruption, poor governance, insecurity, drug abuse, inadequate healthcare, cultism, communal and ethno-religious conflicts, unemployment, examination malpractice, electoral malpractice and unethical business practices among the major challenges confronting the country.
He warned that the combined impact of these problems had deepened hunger, deprivation, inflation, anxiety and economic hardship, while contributing to the loss of lives and property and the erosion of social values.
The professor proposed the expanded use of social marketing to influence behaviour and address societal challenges, particularly in areas such as public health, road safety, self-employment and responsible living.
He said the same approach could be deployed through “countermarketing” campaigns to discourage kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, violence, drug abuse, gambling, alcoholism, cybercrime and other destructive behaviours.
“Countermarketing,” he explained, should be deliberately designed to reduce the appeal and social acceptance of harmful products, behaviours and practices while promoting positive alternatives.
The don also called for stronger enforcement of marketing ethics, urging practitioners to reject deceptive advertising, adulterated products, false claims, exploitative pricing and environmentally harmful practices.
He advocated a deliberate rebranding of Nigeria to project discipline, integrity, responsible citizenship and a positive national image, arguing that national development required a change in both institutional behaviour and citizens’ attitudes.
Ogbadu further called for a shared responsibility between government and citizens, with government providing an enabling environment while citizens obey laws, promote social harmony, develop their capacities and contribute productively to society.
He identified transformational leadership and responsible followership as essential to Nigeria’s progress, urging leaders to demonstrate integrity, transparency, accountability, unity and discipline.
Citizens, he added, should actively participate in civic affairs and hold leaders accountable through constructive engagement.
Among his recommendations were the provision of business grants to young graduates to stimulate self-employment and reduce unemployment, stronger ethical standards in public and private institutions, and greater investment in quality infrastructure, healthcare, manufacturing, communication and human capital.
The Vice-Chancellor of PAAU, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, described the lecture as another milestone in the university’s intellectual development.
He noted that it was the eighth inaugural lecture delivered since he became the institution’s sixth substantive Vice-Chancellor in February 2026.
Usman commended Ogbadu for connecting academic scholarship with pressing national challenges and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, innovation and character development.
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