Sola Akinsiku: Restoring Pride in Advertising Industry

Every Monday morning, the reception lounge of Lagos Airport Hotel takes on a familiar warmth. The spacious lobby welcomes a steady flow of professionals, travellers and members of the Rotary Club, many of whom have made the hotel a regular meeting point for fellowship, conversation and service.

Among the regulars is Dr. Sola Akinsiku. He arrives without ceremony, acknowledging people around him with the same humility that has become a defining feature of his public persona, despite the weight of the office he occupies. Before the interview begins, he exchanges greetings, shares a laugh and settles into the familiar environment of a place where relationships matter.

It is a setting that offers a fitting introduction to a man whose leadership philosophy has always been built around service.

The President of the Out of Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) is also the Managing Director of KOK Visibility Edge, an out-of-home advertising company he co-founded in 2001, and founder of Landmark Media Limited, a large format printing and outdoor advertising firm. He is a Fellow of the Registered Practitioners in Advertising and has spent decades helping shape Nigeria’s advertising landscape.

Yet, when he speaks about leadership, he does not begin with achievements. He begins with values.

“My personal principle is that the Golden Rule must apply at all times,” he says. “If it is not good enough, then it is not good at all. If I will not accept it, then I will not try it on anyone. I believe it is better to be offended than to be the one on the offensive. I would rather be cheated than be the one cheating.”

That philosophy, he explains, has guided his professional journey and his approach to public service.

“Wherever I find myself, I see it as an opportunity to do my best, not to serve as an acknowledgement that you are a superstar,” he says with a smile. “I am just privileged to be one among so many people that can do better.”

As a Rotarian, he is deeply connected to the principle of “Service Above Self,” and that mindset shapes how he views his presidency of OAAN.

“Once you are called to serve, it is service to the organisation, service to humanity and service to professionalism.”

His route to the industry’s top office was not a straight line. It began with a degree in English Language with Education from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, in 1987, followed by postgraduate studies in Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, where he earned a Postgraduate Diploma in 1989 before completing a Master’s degree and a PhD in the same discipline.

He entered advertising in 1992 at Rock Forte Advertising Limited as a Client Service Executive, rising to Senior Client Service Executive before joining the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON, in 1994. At the regulatory body, now the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), he worked across Research and Public Relations before moving to the Vetting and Inspectorate Department, where he served as Secretary to the Advertising Standards Panel.

His time at APCON placed him close to the issues of ethics, standards and professional conduct within advertising. Alongside his regulatory responsibilities, he taught on APCON’s Certificate and Diploma in Advertising programme, serving as a lecturer, examiner and project supervisor. He also authored teaching materials on Introduction to Mass Communication and Advertising Research Methodology.

In 1998, he moved to Optimum Exposures Limited as Customer Service Manager, deepening his experience in Nigeria’s growing out of home advertising sector. Five years later, he co-founded KOK Visibility Edge Limited, where he continues to serve as Executive Vice Chairman.

His journey into industry leadership began long before he became president. Alongside other practitioners, he was passionate about building a more organised and respected profession. They regularly engaged the late OAAN President, Kole Ademulegun, sharing ideas and advocating for higher standards.

“We were passionate about running a professional industry,” he recalls. “We were passionate about excellence, professionalism and fairness.”

Those efforts eventually led to his being co-opted into OAAN’s council on special duties during the emergence of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA).

“Life has a way of being funny sometimes,” he says, laughing. “Before we knew it, we found ourselves as co-opted members of council.”

For him, that moment was not about personal advancement. It was the beginning of a longer journey of service.

Today, as president, he sees his role as representing a wider community of practitioners and businesses.

“We have 12 people on council representing almost 200 firms,” he explains. “When you look at each of those firms being responsible for the wellbeing of families, you see that you have a huge responsibility.”

That responsibility is also why he resists taking individual credit for OAAN’s progress.

“If I have an idea, I put it out to the Executive Council. Once the Executive Council buys into it, we seek concurrence from members. Once members say run, I do not look back until they say come.”

One of the biggest priorities of his administration has been restoring professionalism and confidence in the out-of-home sector. While he acknowledges the creativity and potential within the industry, he is concerned about practices that undermine standards.

“We are not happy with the current situation of the practice in our country,” he says. “There is so much charlatanism in the industry.”

His concern is not about competition. It is about protecting the integrity of a profession he believes has evolved significantly.

“The practice of out-of-home is no longer for people who could not do anything,” he says firmly. “Today, you have people with two or three degrees. You have PhD holders. You have barristers at law. You have engineers.”

He is passionate about changing perceptions. “We are not operators. We are practitioners. We are professionals.”

For Akinsiku, Nigeria’s outdoor advertising industry has travelled a long way from its early beginnings. He recalls the era of West Africa Publicity and other pioneers who established the foundations of the sector before changes in ownership and regulation created gaps that later allowed less professional practices to emerge.

Today, he believes the industry has the talent and expertise to compete globally, but stronger structures are required.

“The issue is that there is no law entrenched to guide the practice of out-of-home,” he says.

He argues that regulation should not be viewed as a barrier to entry, but as a means of ensuring fairness and quality.

“Nobody is restricting entry into this profession. What we are saying is, let us practise with decorum, decency, excellence in mind and professionalism.”

He believes compliance is essential, particularly because outdoor advertising involves significant investment.

“A unipole can cost close to N35 million to erect, while an LED can cost between N50 million and N100 million or more. No reasonable entrepreneur will put up what tomorrow the government can pull down.”

The challenge, he says, is not with serious practitioners who follow regulatory processes, but with individuals who operate outside professional structures.

As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, Akinsiku expects increased activity in political advertising, but believes the sector needs clearer guidelines.

Currently, he says, political advertising remains slow due to economic pressures and uncertainty among political parties.

“It is still on the dull side,” he explains. “The economic situation is affecting all areas of our existence.”

He expects more movement after party primaries and candidates emerge.

“When the real campaigns begin, I expect they will do more advertising.”

However, he wants campaign advertising to operate within a stronger regulatory framework. He suggests that political materials should require proper approval before being displayed publicly.

“I want to suggest very strongly that INEC should find a way to respect ARCON and make this mandatory,” he says. “Any advertisement exposed without approval should attract serious sanction.”

For him, the goal is simple: fairness, accountability and professionalism.

Despite the challenges, Akinsiku remains optimistic about Nigeria’s capacity to deliver world-class outdoor advertising. “There is no campaign or creative that you find anywhere in the world that is not available in Nigeria,” he says.

The issue, he believes, is willingness to invest. “Innovation costs money. It is a function of the political class being ready to pay for it.”

Having travelled across Africa and beyond, he believes Nigerian practitioners have the creativity and expertise to compete anywhere.

“We have the idea. We have the resources. We have the will.”

But he insists innovation must have purpose. “You do not just bring innovation to show off that you have money.”

For him, leadership is not about titles or recognition. It is about leaving systems stronger, professions more respected and institutions more prepared for the future.

As the Rotary meeting begins and the familiar rhythm of fellowship returns to the lounge, Akinsiku remains grounded in the belief that leadership is a responsibility, not a reward. His journey reflects a simple conviction: that the strongest impact is often created not through grand declarations, but through the courage to challenge the present and prepare the future. Long after the conversations end and the office is handed over, the true measure will be the industry’s ability to move forward on the foundation he helped build.

“I believe the impact of our leadership may only be seen after we have left office,” he says. That may be the clearest expression of his philosophy.