“You Don’t Know Your Worth" — Akinola Ridwan Tells Strategic Communication Students at Pitch-a-Thon

Mr. Akinola Ridwan Akinlabi.

By Samuel Akintola 

A lecturer in the Mass Communication Department, Mr. Akinola Ridwan, has challenged HND II Strategic Communication students of Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree to recognise their value and improve their presentation skills during Public Relations/Advertising Pitch-a-thon programme.

The event, held on April 2, 2026, at the institution’s Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH 2), brought together students of Strategic Communication HND 2 to showcase their creativity and pitching abilities as part of an assignment given by Dr. Adeagbo.

While addressing the students, Ridwan criticised their approach, noting that many failed to understand the true essence of pitching. He emphasised that the skills they are learning in school are highly valuable and in demand in the professional world.

“You don’t know your worth,” he said, warning that failure to properly develop these skills could have serious consequences for their future careers, because being a PR or Advertiser for a particular company or Organization is a paying skills in the world today. 

He explained that a pitch-a-thon is not a “read-a-thon,” stressing that the goal is to persuade potential investors or clients who are on set, not merely to read from prepared scripts.

According to him, effective pitching requires confidence, engagement, and performance. He noted that some students focused more on their phones than on their audience, which weakened the impact of their presentations.

Ridwan also highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in modern advertising, stating that while AI tools can be used to produce video adverts, they must be properly integrated to achieve meaningful results.

He added that although some students attempted to incorporate AI and celebrity concepts into their presentations, poor integration reduced the overall effectiveness of their ideas.

The programme served as both a learning and evaluative platform, exposing students to real-world expectations in the fields of public relations and advertising.

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