Akanmu, Mbanefo, Owodunni, others to speak at the 2026 AIC, Aug 6
A line up of industry professionals and esteemed experts have been selected to speak at the 2026 Advertising Industry Colloquium (AIC) on August 6, 2026, in Lagos. They include: Olu Akanmu, Academic Director of Lagos Business School’s Tech-Leap Initiative; Dozie Mbanefo, Managing Director, New Crystal Communication Limited, and Omowunmi Owodunni, former ASP Chairman.
Organised by Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the AIC is a flagship stakeholder engagement forum designed to close the gap between the town and gown as well as promote dialogue on emerging issues shaping the advertising and marketing communications industry.
The colloquium brings together regulators, policymakers, academia, advertisers, advertising agencies, media organisations, digital platforms, technology companies, legal experts, academics, brand custodians, content creators and other industry stakeholders.
According to ARCON in a statement, this year’s colloquium which is the 4th edition will focus on the theme: “The Future of Advertising: Roles of Platforms, People and Regulations.”
“The colloquium comes at a defining moment for the advertising industry as technological innovation, artificial intelligence, digital platforms and changing consumer behaviour continue to reshape how advertising content is created, distributed and consumed. These developments present significant opportunities for innovation and economic growth while simultaneously raising important questions around ethics, consumer protection, transparency, accountability and regulatory oversight,” the statement reads in part.
One of the features of the colloquium is the pitch competition where students from tertiary institutions that emerged from a pre-event pitch competition will compete in a final pitch competition.
Six (6) tertiary institutions, drawn from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, will participate in students’ Advertising Pitch Competition. The academic institutions are as follows: University of Ilorin, Kwara State University, Kaduna State University, Ebonyi State University, Rivers State University and Lagos State University.
Participants will benefit from keynote presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions featuring distinguished speakers drawn from government, regulatory institutions, academia, professional bodies and the private sector.
Some other speakers expected to mount the rostrum are: Professor Adepoju Tejumaiye, University of Lagos Advertising and Public Relations Department; Dotun Babatunde, Head, Digital Marketing, Olam Agri; among others.
Meanwhile, ARCON has called on all stakeholders across the advertising value chain to participate in the 2026 Advertising Industry Colloquium and contribute to shaping a future-ready advertising industry that is innovative, inclusive, ethical and accountable.
Do you have a compelling story to tell? Contact us via our email: espinewsng@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 08032519246.
