AAAN President Unveils Bold Plan to Boost Nigeria’s ₦605.2bn Ad Industry

By Daniel Obi

Lanre Adisa, President of AAAN and Founder/Chief Creative Officer of Noah’s Ark

In the bustling city of Ibadan, beneath the elegant canopy of industry giants and rising creatives, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) gathered for its annual general meeting. But this wasn’t just another industry conference. It was a call to action, one filled with urgency, introspection, and bold vision.

At the helm of this reflection was Lanre Adisa, President of AAAN and Founder/Chief Creative Officer of Noah’s Ark, who laid out a compelling blueprint for the future of Nigeria’s advertising sector,  an industry currently valued at ₦605.2 billion and projected to soar to nearly ₦900 billion by 2028, provided it is steered with foresight and collaboration.

Under the rallying theme “Charting Bold Paths Forward,” Adisa’s message was more than ceremonial; it was a challenge to government, practitioners, and stakeholders alike. “The industry can only move forward when the government gives the operators the attention they deserve,” he asserted, emphasizing the urgent need to inaugurate the long-overdue Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Council.

“The industry has operated for over ten years without a Council,” Adisa lamented. “We’ve transitioned from APCON to ARCON, and through different administrations,  yet, no council.” His frustration echoed the sentiment of many in the room who have watched regulatory limbo stifle innovation and strategic cohesion.

He didn’t stop there. Adisa called for policy reform that would institutionalize professionalism in public sector communication. “In the spirit of the current administration’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy, we urge the Federal Government to mandate that only ARCON-certified agencies bid for all government and MDAs’ marketing communications,” he proposed. “Not only will this elevate the standard of public messaging, but it will also foster industry growth through improved statutory compliance and value delivery.”

But Adisa’s address wasn’t solely focused on policy. His message turned inward, urging industry players to adapt or risk irrelevance. “Technology is not the enemy. Fear is,” he said with conviction. “We must be bold,  bold enough to embrace new technologies, to re-skill, to experiment. We must stop merely following global trends and start shaping global narratives, drawing from our culture, creativity, and commerce.”

This forward-looking sentiment found resonance in the contributions of Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON, who during a fireside chat, stressed the importance of professional self-regulation. “Many of our regulatory challenges would not exist if practitioners were more committed to ethical standards and internal governance,” he said, reinforcing the call for internal reform as a pillar for sustainable industry growth.

The atmosphere at the AAAN meeting was one of reflection but also of recognition. Advertising legends such as Udeme Ufot of SO&U, Tunji Olugbodi of Verdant Zeal, Steve Babaeko of X3M Ideas, and Kelechi Nwosu of TBWA/Concepts graced the occasion. Their presence signaled a torch-passing moment, especially as eight new agencies,  Grandeur Limited, Octoplus Marketing, Hephzibah Experiential, Adept Creation Enterprise, Take-Out Media, Flow Universal Solutions, Blue Sky Media, and Whyfinite Martech, were officially inducted into the association.

These fresh entrants represent the next generation of Nigerian advertising,  a generation that must balance creativity with compliance, innovation with ethics, and heritage with digital fluency.

As the meeting drew to a close, the tone shifted from one of critique to one of collective ownership. Adisa’s final words served both as a charge and a compass: “The time to act is now. We have the talent. We have the numbers. We have the culture. What we need is the will, to chart bold paths forward.”

And if the voices in that Ibadan room are any indication, the Nigerian advertising industry may just be ready to rise to that challenge.