Industry players optimistic National Advertising Conference 2025 will address critical issues

By Amechi Obiakpu

Advertising industry players on Friday expressed optimism that the 2025 National Advertising conference (NAC) will address critical issues affecting the industry.

They gave the assurance at a media briefing held in Maryland, to unveil plans ahead this year’s conference scheduled to hold from Wednesday November 12 to Friday, 14, 2025.

The briefing attracted key players in the advertising ecosystem including heads of sectoral groups, the regulators and the media.

The conference with the theme, Marketing Communications: Transforming Businesses and Creating Growth in Challenging Times will hold in Abuja.

In his presentation, Chairman, Planning Committee, NAC 2025, Tunji Adeyinka said the conference will serve as an epicenter for marketing professionals, innovators, and business leaders from across the country to share thought-leadership ideas and insights aimed at shaping the future of marketing in Nigeria.

Adeyinka noted that, the marketing communications industry, is a catalyst for economic growth and it was instructive therefore to ensure whatever we do as a conference is to look at having discussions around that growth.

According to him, “We always speak about the industry as a contest that is why this year we picked a theme that focusses on growth,” he said.

“You and I don’t not need to talk too much about challenging times. Though from the macro point of view we have indicators that show that the economy is stabilizing and also growing. But, we also know that in terms of transmitting this growth to consumers that is not happening yet and that is why growth is a very critical discussion that we have made this conference 2025 about, and also about transforming businesses.

“Over the years, the NAC have tried not just to be a talk shop, but thought leadership platform and advocacy platform where we try to deal with critical industry issues that spring from the conference and I will like to acknowledge the regulator, ARCON, who is the key backbone behind this conference,” Adeyinka said.

Organisers say the three-day event which will start with a fire-side chat on Wednesday November 12, will attract speakers from various sectors of the industry, across different generation discussing peculiar issues as it affects the industry.

Some of the features include talent debate between the GenZs and the millennials, a master class on Destination branding to be handled by Udeme Ufot, Chief Executive, SO&U, and discussion on “The Agency Business in Tough Times- Boom or Burst”.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), said this year’s conference will focus on how to transform and grow the business of advertising and marketing in the country. He pointed that every year, there are always learnings from the conference because of the critical issues that are always discussed which leaves the industry better-off. This year noted that the conversation will be taken steps higher.

Corroborating Dr. Fadolapo’s stance, MIPAN President, Dozie Okafor said more than ever, the advertising industry needs a conference like NAC to help navigate the change that is happening in the industry. According to him, the conference has to get better by the day for the good of the industry. He therefore advocated that future conference be extended to a week rather than its usual three days, to give room for more discussions and deliberations.

Lanre Adisa, AAAN President said the present advertising industry is tech driven and no single regulator, agency or sector can drive it alone except through collaboration and synergy which is some of what the NAC platform is providing.

On her part, Tolulope Medebem, EXMAN President said there was no better time to chart a course for players in the industry but to come together to discuss in these challenging times.

*Photo shows Dr. Lekan Fadolapo flanked by Heads of Sectorial Groups and industry players.

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