Ozoemena Mbanefo, widely known as Ozone, is a name that resonates with creativity, innovation, and mentorship in Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry. As the founder of Oxygen Academy, popularly called O2 Academy, Nigeria’s foremost school of brands and marketing communications, Ozone has built a reputation not only as a consummate creative but also as a visionary teacher dedicated to shaping the next generation of industry leaders.

What began in 2007 from his modest two-bedroom apartment has grown into a movement. In the early years, Ozone opened his garage to offer free training to more than 200 Nigerian youths, laying the foundation for what would become an enduring platform for professional empowerment. Today, O2 Academy stands as a beacon of opportunity, with Ozone proudly noting that six out of every ten millennials in Nigeria’s advertising industry are products of the Academy. His vision remains clear: to transform the lives of six million youths through the Oxygen platform.

A graduate of Mass Communication from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Ozone brings over 24 years of advertising experience to the table. His career path has taken him through Nigeria’s top agencies, including LTC/JWT, Insight Communications (now Insight Publicis), DDB Lagos, TBWA/Concept, Bates Cosse, and 141Worldwide (now Nitro 121). Along the way, he has lent his creative genius to some of the country’s most iconic local and multinational brands: from Fanta, Limca, and Knorr to MTN, Etisalat (now 9Mobile), DSTV, British American Tobacco, Cadbury, UBA, Fidelity Bank, and many more.

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Ozone is not only a practitioner but a pioneer. He is credited with conceptualising and installing Nigeria’s first 3D zebra crossing, an innovation that has since been replicated in various parts of the country to enhance pedestrian safety. His career is a testament to breaking barriers and creating bold, purposeful work that combines artistry with social impact.

Passionate, driven, and deeply committed to the common good, Ozone embodies the qualities of a leader who understands both the pulse of the industry and the aspirations of its people. His role as Moderator of the 2025 Marketing Edge National Marketing Stakeholders’ Summit is a natural extension of his lifelong mission—to guide conversations, inspire innovation, and chart the course for the future of marketing and communications in Nigeria and beyond.