Marketing practitioners must be given space in gov’t – CIMG boss

The National President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG), Dr. Mrs Shola Safo-Duodu is calling on government to effectively engage marketing professionals in the civil and public services to guarantee successful implementation of its policies and programmes.

According to Dr Safo-Duodu, professional marketing practice in the civil service is not feasible and as a result many marketers have not been given the required recognition and opportunity to bring their profession to bear in government.


Speaking on the theme “Marketing Practice in Contemporary Civil and Public service” at the CIMG 25th Presidential Dinner Dance, Saturday in Accra, Mrs Safo-Duodu said it is time marketing practice in contemporary civil and public services be recognized at the highest level.


“The relevant profession to infuse the dynamism of modern marketing practice into the civil and public services is the marketing profession. Therefore marketing practitioners must be given space to add value to work in our public and civil services”.


Mrs Safo-Duodu addressing cross-section of marketing practitioners, industry players and the media lamented that government’s continues use of civil servants in packaging its messages to the public is worrying and must be discourage.


“How sure is the government that the civil servant will package its message to the public effectively to give it the singleness of mind if the professional marketing practitioner who understands the art and can come out with the right message is not given the chance?” she doubted.

The President suggested that government should make good use of professional marketing practitioners without civil and public services set up to bolster efforts at liberating Ghana from the heavy dependency on other nations.


She however appealed to all CIMG members to work hard to be relevant in order to take opportunity of the numerous yawning gaps that require special knowledgeable professionals like the marketer.


On her part, the Chairperson of the Public Services Commission, Ghana Mrs. Briget Katsriku admitted that the word “marketing” is not generally heard in the public service vocabulary and has often been regarded as the exclusive preserve of the private sector.


She therefore called on CIMG to introduce its courses to the civil servants to help build their capacity in service delivery to push Ghana’s development agenda.


This year’s CIMG President’s Ball witnessed the induction of new members and the closing ceremony of Senior Managers and Directors of the CIMG Executive School held in GIMPA and the Ghana School of Marketing