Lanre Adisa, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Noah’s Ark Communications and Chairman of the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), has called for deliberate, measurable and action-driven strategies to accelerate the advancement of women across Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry.

Adisa made this call while speaking at the maiden edition of Through Her Lens, an industry initiative held recently in Lagos by Black AT. The event brought together professionals across the marketing communications ecosystem to examine practical pathways for empowering women and strengthening gender equity within the creative sector.

His remarks followed a question from a member of the audience who sought to understand how Nigerian companies and industry bodies could practically implement many of the recommendations earlier highlighted by speakers during the session.

Specifically, the audience member asked Adisa, in his capacity as Chairman of the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups, to outline concrete steps that the industry leadership intends to adopt in order to translate the event’s conversations into real opportunities that would enable women to achieve their professional ambitions with fulfilment and measurable success.

Responding to the question, Adisa stressed that the industry must move beyond conversations and intentionally begin implementing structures that will drive real change.

He explained that although awareness initiatives and advocacy conversations remain important, stakeholders must now deliberately pursue action-oriented strategies that will reshape the narrative and create sustainable opportunities for women within the sector.

According to him, the most effective starting point lies in measurement and accountability. Adisa therefore announced that the industry umbrella body, the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups, plans to initiate the development of what he described as the Nigerian Creative Equity Index, a framework designed to provide data-driven insights into the representation and progression of women within the creative industry.

He explained that the index will examine critical questions across the sector, including where women currently sit within organisational hierarchies, what leadership roles they occupy and how agencies and companies structure opportunities for female professionals.

Through this process, he said, the industry will be able to clearly measure the level of gender inclusion within agencies and organisations.

Adisa emphasised that without reliable data, the industry cannot effectively understand the scale of the challenge or design solutions capable of addressing it.

Consequently, he called on stakeholders across agencies, sectoral associations and creative organisations to collaborate by providing the necessary data that will enable the index to deliver accurate insights.

According to him, the ultimate goal of the Nigerian Creative Equity Index is not merely to gather statistics but to guide meaningful action across the industry over the next five to ten years.

Once the data becomes available, Adisa noted that industry bodies will be able to identify practical initiatives capable of reversing long-standing gender imbalances and creating clearer pathways for women to thrive professionally.

Furthermore, he explained that the industry leadership intends to establish a framework through which organisations will commit themselves to implementing the recommended initiatives that will emerge from the index.

He added that agencies and organisations that demonstrate genuine commitment to gender inclusion and professional advancement for women will also receive industry recognition.

Adisa stressed that such recognition will go beyond symbolic gestures and instead celebrate agencies that actively build inclusive workplaces where women can grow, lead and contribute meaningfully.

Beyond measurement and recognition, Adisa also highlighted mentorship and sponsorship as critical tools for developing the next generation of female leaders in the industry.

However, he carefully distinguished between the two concepts.While mentorship offers guidance and advice, he explained, sponsorship requires senior professionals to actively advocate for younger talents, open doors for them and support their career progression.

Adisa therefore encouraged senior professionals, both men and women, to intentionally support emerging female talents by aligning themselves with younger women entering the creative industry.

Through structured sponsorship relationships, he said experienced professionals can help younger women navigate career opportunities, access training programmes and participate in professional development initiatives both within Nigeria and internationally.

Such deliberate support systems, he explained, will help women build confidence, gain exposure and secure the opportunities required to progress within the competitive creative landscape.

In addition, Adisa revealed that industry bodies including the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups are already exploring programmes and initiatives designed to encourage more women to step forward, develop their capabilities and occupy influential positions within the industry.

Meanwhile, he also highlighted the importance of representation and inspiration.During the session, he pointed out that although the Nigerian advertising industry consists of dozens of agencies within its structure, only a limited number are owned or led by women.

According to him, when aspiring professionals witness women successfully leading agencies and creative businesses, such examples inspire the next generation to pursue their ambitions with greater confidence.

Ultimately, Adisa reiterated that the industry must intentionally create systems that support women not only to enter the profession but also to grow, lead and achieve their full potential.

By combining data-driven measurement, institutional commitment, structured sponsorship and industry recognition, he said Nigeria’s marketing communications sector can gradually transform its gender narrative and build a more inclusive future for women across the creative ecosystem