Top marketing executives, media strategists and regulatory leaders gathered at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Thursday, November 12, 2026, for the sixth National Advertising Conference (NAC 2026), where they examined how Nigeria’s marketing communications industry can respond to changing consumer behaviour, economic pressures and evolving media measurement standards.

Held under the theme, “Repositioning the Marketing Communications Industry for the Next Frontier,” the sessions featured the CMO Forum, titled “Re-thinking Marketing Communications: The CMO’s Perspective,” as well as mediaReach OMD’s “Red Room” thought-leadership series.

CMOs Call for Consumer-Centric Marketing

Speaking at the CMO Forum, Chioma Mbanugo, Chief Marketing Officer at PZ Wilmar/PZ Cussons, said brand custodians must align their value propositions with current household realities.

She noted that marketing communications can no longer depend on legacy playbooks or operate apart from consumers’ purchasing power. According to her, modern brand leadership requires agility, local empathy and purposeful storytelling that can balance long-term brand equity with immediate commercial performance.

Idemudia Dima-Okojie, Marketing Director for West Africa at Mastercard, focused on the connection between technology, consumer trust and practical value. He said brands must move away from broad, one-size-fits-all messaging towards data-driven, personalised consumer journeys.

He added that consumers are drawn to brands that remove everyday friction, urging marketers to explore cross-sector partnerships, passion-point engagement and measurable value creation beyond traditional advertising silos.

Manpreet Singh, Chief Marketing Officer at Tolaram Group, shared an FMCG perspective, describing scale resilience and deep consumer insight as essential for protecting market share and brand loyalty during periods of economic disruption.

Media Accountability Takes Centre Stage

The media and measurement sessions also drew strong attention, particularly mediaReach OMD’s “Red Room,” moderated by Emmanuel Adediran, Business Unit Director at mediaReach OMD/Acuity Limited.

Participants examined the need for verifiable audience data and stronger media accountability. The discussion featured Dr. Charles Ebuebu, Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and Patrick Gomes, Chief Operating Officer of First Media and Entertainment Integrated Limited (FMEIL).

The session complemented the conference plenary presentation of early data from the DeepMove Meter television audience measurement system, which is expected to strengthen transparency and confidence in audience measurement.

Contributing from a sponsor and media leadership perspective, Adeola Amosun, Group Head of Media at Tolaram Group, said repositioning the industry requires closer collaboration among advertisers, agencies, regulators and media owners.

He stressed that verifiable reach quality, media cost efficiency and strategic affordability are essential to justifying marketing investments and driving sustainable market growth.

A Call for Industry Collaboration

Across the sessions, speakers agreed that the next phase of Nigeria’s marketing communications industry will depend on brands that understand their consumers, invest in credible measurement and build trust through relevant, value-driven communication.

The discussions reinforced the need for advertisers, agencies, regulators and media owners to work together in creating a more transparent, accountable and commercially sustainable ecosystem.