Advertising in Nigeria has never been just about selling products.

It has been about shaping culture, sparking conversations, and giving voice to how people see themselves.

At every turn, a handful of bold thinkers have pushed the industry forward, sometimes quietly through strategy, other times loudly through campaigns that stop people in their tracks.

Their journeys tell of resilience, reinvention, and a relentless pursuit of relevance.

This November, their voices will converge at the 2025 National Advertising Conference (NAC) in Abuja, where the industry gathers under the theme “Marketing Communications: Transforming Businesses and Creating Growth in Challenging Times.”

Charting New Paths with Bold Creativity

These voices gather once more, ready to challenge old ideas and chart new paths in a business where creativity meets survival.

Few stories embody this evolution like that of Anthony Eigbe, the newly appointed Chief Creative Officer, West Africa at TECNO.

For him, this role is more than a title, it is the continuation of a creative odyssey.

From his beginnings as a copywriter at Cosse TTL to shaping campaigns for Pepsi and Aquafina at Insight Communications, Eigbe has built a reputation for weaving cultural relevance into global narratives.

At TECNO, he now carries the task of positioning the brand as Africa’s most culturally iconic smartphone.

His mantra is simple: creativity must not just sell, it must matter.

Tradition Meets Innovation

If Eigbe represents the energy of a new generation, Sola Akinsiku stands as a custodian of tradition and innovation in equal measure.

As President of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), he has spent more than two decades turning Nigeria’s billboards into more than just static canvases.

Under his watch, outdoor advertising has embraced digital technology while retaining its human touch.

For Akinsiku, the future of advertising lies in blending the power of technology with the integrity of creativity, which is a balance he believes AI will challenge but also enrich.

A Champion of African Audacity

No conversation about creativity in Nigeria is complete without Lanre Adisa, founder of Noah’s Ark Communications.

With over three decades of experience, Adisa has built an empire that spans PR, digital, production, and media.

From his early days at Saatchi & Saatchi to judging at Cannes, Loeries, and the African Cristals, he has carried Nigerian advertising onto the global stage.

Today, as President of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN), he insists that creativity must be audacious, strategic, and unapologetically African.

Global Insight with Regional Nuance

Adding an international dimension is Jacques Burger, Group CEO of Up\&Up and co-founder of M\&C Saatchi Abel in South Africa.

Voted among AdNews’ Top 40 under 40 and celebrated for campaigns for Heineken, Volkswagen, and Deloitte, Burger blends global insight with regional nuance.

His philosophy is clear: brands that thrive are those that dare to be meaningful in the lives of their consumers.

Strategy as a Lever for Empowerment

Today,advertising is not only about the loudest campaigns, it is also about strategy, foresight, and the quiet power of growth.

Saidat Lawal Mohammed embodies this truth.

With over 20 years shaping brands such as MTN, 9Mobile, Heineken, and Ribena, she has led at the highest levels, including running SPV Communication Solutions, an Omnicom agency network.

Currently at CEIBS Africa, she champions MSMEs as engines of national progress while mentoring the next generation of marketing leaders.

For Lawal Mohammed, strategy is not abstract, it is a lever for real economic empowerment.

Discipline and Agility in the Market
That pragmatism also defines Bello Yusuf, Business Director at 3-IPOD.

Having sharpened his skills at La Casera, CARTRACK, and Global Outdoor Systems, Yusuf has spent more than a decade translating consumer insight into market growth.

His strength lies in trade marketing and business development, where his approach combines discipline with agility, a mindset essential in Nigeria’s unpredictable markets.

The Fresh Pulse of a New Generation

Also,  there is Maryam Amuda, a young marketing executive at Aster Integrated Marketing, who symbolises the fresh pulse of a new generation.

With her background in experiential and digital strategy, she represents a demographic that sees marketing not as manipulation but as conversation.

For Amuda, authenticity is the new power, and inclusivity the new language.

A Constellation of Trailblazers

Together, these voices paint a portrait of an industry both restless and resilient.

From Eigbe’s bold creativity to Akinsiku’s steady stewardship, from Adisa’s visionary leadership to Burger’s global gravitas, from Lawal Mohammed’s strategic foresight to Yusuf’s market instincts, and finally Amuda’s youthful audacity, this is not just a lineup of speakers.

It is a constellation of trailblazers whose combined insights will define the next chapter of African advertising.

Poised Ahead with Courage

As the countdown to NAC 2025 continues, one truth rings clear: in an age of uncertainty, the advertising industry’s strength lies not only in survival, but in the brilliance of the minds daring enough to imagine what comes next.

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