Advertising Rebirth: Charting a New Path Forward
The 52nd annual general meeting of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, held in Ibadan Oyo State, last week provided fresh opportunities for practitioners to retool their industry in line with current global trends amidst digital revolution, staff remuneration and agency/client’s relationship. Raheem Akingbolu reports.
The world is constantly changing and evolving, with new ideas and innovations emerging daily. According to a recent article from Sogeti Labs, new ideas build upon previous ones, creating a continuous cycle of progress. This evolution is driven by technological advancements, social changes, and the human desire to improve and create. This aptly describes the situation the marketing communication industry has found itself globally.
From Africa to Asia and Europe market, the realisation that the digital revolution has fundamentally reshaped the advertising landscape, shifting it from a mass-market, one-size-fits-all approach to a highly targeted, personalized, and data-driven model, has increasingly put practitioners on their toes. Of course, this transformation is driven by increased internet accessibility, mobile device usage, and the rise of social media platforms.
Like other parts of the world, Nigerian practitioners are not leaving any stone unturned in their determined efforts to deepen practice to be able to compete favourably with the rest of the world. In the last 10 years, the efforts appear to be yielding expected results as a few ad agencies are now slugging it out with foreign agencies to win more multinational businesses and clinching global awards. In line with this drive, members of AAAN converged on the city of Ibadan last week to review their operations and challenges, hence the theme of the AGM, “Charting Bold Paths Forward.”
Beyond the main business of the annual gathering, the association also used the event to showcase the country’s cultural heritage, inducted eight new member agencies, as well as creating a platform for networking and interaction among members.
Speaking at the event, AAAN President, Lanre Adisa, while calling for creative rebirth, urged practitioners to embrace bold thinking, radical reinvention, and deeper collaboration as the only viable path to sustainable progress.
Adisa noted that the theme of the 2025 AGM was deliberate and meant to awaken the consciousness of the players to the emerging trend in the industry. He pointed out that the theme was a declaration of intent and a challenge to the entire ecosystem to keep moving forward despite the uncertainties of a rapidly evolving landscape.
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Adisa said, “If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl—but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” He stressed that the industry must not only keep pace with global shifts in technology and consumer behaviour but must also take charge of shaping its own future with clarity and courage. “Technology is not the enemy. Fear is,” he declared. According to him, amid a wave of digital disruption, declining barriers to entry, and rapidly changing rules of engagement, Nigerian agencies must remain anchored in human insight, cultural truth, and the power of connection. “What truly sets us apart is not just our tools—but our truth,” he said.
Call for national recognition
The Ibadan gathering also provided another opportunity for the practitioners to fire a salvo to the government at all levels to give more recognition to the industry and the practitioners. Over the years, the leadership of the association has consistently clamoured for more recognition and reeled out the values they were bringing to the nation’s economy. In 2014, the industry the industry took the bull by the horn by organising a national seminar on political advertising as an ample opportunity to open up on their relevance to national development.
In Ibadan, where the Director General of Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Lekan Fadolapo stood in for the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the AAAN President called on government at all levels to give the industry the attention and support it deserves. He lamented the continued absence of an ARCON Governing Council, describing it as a major impediment to regulatory effectiveness and industry advancement. “It is of great concern that we have done over ten years without a Council,” he said. “We have transitioned from APCON to ARCON, one administration to another. Yet, we don’t have a Council.” He also urged the federal government to adopt a Nigeria First policy by mandating that only ARCON-certified agencies should be allowed to bid for all marketing communications contracts involving MDAs. This, he said, would not only elevate the quality of government messaging but also ensure that local agencies thrive and contribute more meaningfully to national development.
He Fadolapo for his commitment and passion, describing him as “indefatigable” and likening him to the British Marmite brand—“love it or hate it, but impossible to ignore.” Adisa applauded his role in introducing the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP), which he said had begun to address long-standing challenges in client-agency relationships. However, he insisted that there is still much more to be done, and reaffirmed AAAN’s willingness to collaborate with ARCON and other sectoral bodies to refine AISOP and work together on strategic initiatives such as the Stock Image Project and Online Advertising Regulation.
He noted that the industry is fast approaching a historic milestone: the centenary of advertising in Nigeria, which comes up in 2028. “That’s a century of building brands, promoting businesses, and shaping the national conversation,” he said. While acknowledging the accomplishments of the past, he urged the industry not to rest on its laurels but to be even more ambitious about what lies ahead. “Let us ask the hard questions. Let us embrace the tough solutions. Let us imagine bolder futures—not just for our agencies, but for our industry as a force for national development, cultural identity, and economic growth,” he added.
Re-envisioning advertising in marketing mix
Fadolapo, while congratulating the association for constantly reinventing, reiterated the importance of regulation to ethical advertising practice.
As a prelude to the panel discussion which focused on: Policies and regulations shaping the sector’s future; Strategies for fostering a dynamic and sustainable creative economy; as well as Pathways for agencies to respond to disruption with creativity and agility, Fadolapo took members of the association through a few interventions of the regulatory body, which has saved the country of many national embarrassments.
The keynote speaker, who is also the CEO of Impact Hub Lagos, Idowu Akinde, set the ball rolling by taking a cursory look at the industry at large and admitting that the challenges affecting the local advertising industry are not unique to Nigeria but a global phenomenon.
Akinde stated that his daily language revolves more around MVPs, pivots, and pitch decks. According to him, all 120 Impact Hubs in 70 countries around the world together foster innovation, offering co-working spaces, vibrant communities, and programs that champion everything from budding entrepreneurs to the United Nations’ SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). “Therefore, on a day to day, I’m in the trenches with founders, nurturing the chaotic, often messy – but always exhilarating – process of building startups from the ground up. But as I read your theme for this 52nd AGM – “Charting Bold Paths Forward” – and the powerful words in your invitation, such as “the fierce urgency of now,” “disruptive innovations,” and “re-imagining traditional models”, I realised we are speaking the same language after all.” he stated.
He, however, pointed out that the challenges practitioners face in Nigeria – rapid technological advancement, shifting consumer expectations, economic volatility, global uncertainties, and national vulnerabilities – are the very forces that define the startup ecosystem. “You all are in the business of building iconic brands; and we are in the business of building disruptive companies. At the end of the day, we’re about the same thing: rallying people behind an idea.
“The challenges affecting the local advertising industry are not unique to Nigeria – they’re actually global challenges being faced by all advertising firms around the world – think AI (Artificial Intelligence), shrinking budgets on the client side, and shifts in the regulatory landscape on an ongoing basis. So it’s not just the local scene, it’s a global problem. The topic of this conference is evidence that our local agencies aren’t satisfied with just reacting anymore – you all are here today because you’re proactively pushing for a re-envisioning of what advertising agencies actually do – especially in the larger context of macro sociological factors such as AI. For instance, rather than wait for clients to take positions regarding AI, why not do the hard work – on their behalf – of re-imagining their future in an AI world, and then helping them navigate that journey?” Akinde said.
