Access Holdings Plc Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has challenged Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry to embrace emerging technologies and adapt to changing market realities, warning that professionals who fail to master their environment risk becoming irrelevant.
Aig-Imoukhuede gave the warning during a fireside chat titled “Are We Ready for the Next Frontier?” at the sixth National Advertising Conference (NAC 2026), which opened at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
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The three-day conference, organised by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), is themed “Repositioning the Marketing Communications Industry for the Next Frontier” and brings together advertising professionals, brand owners, regulators, academics and business leaders to examine the forces reshaping the sector.
Speaking on the implications of technological disruption, Aig-Imoukhuede said the industry must see the next frontier as an opportunity to lead and innovate rather than a development to fear.
He noted that artificial intelligence, quantum computing and other emerging technologies were changing the structure of the advertising business beyond the disruption previously brought by the internet.
“If you do not master your environment, you are going to become irrelevant,” he told delegates, urging practitioners to turn uncertainty into motivation for innovation and growth.
He also argued that the future value of advertising agencies would depend less on their size or the budgets they handle and more on their ability to deliver meaningful results for clients.
According to him, agencies must develop a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour and demonstrate clear value in an increasingly competitive market.
The conference is taking place against the backdrop of rapid changes in digital advertising, media consumption, artificial intelligence and regulatory expectations.
Organisers have positioned this year’s edition as a move from industry conversations towards practical recommendations and actionable outcomes.
One of the major issues on the agenda is the proposed regulatory framework for digital marketing and artificial intelligence in Nigeria.
An industry committee is expected to present its recommendations following months of consultation and deliberation on the regulatory challenges associated with emerging advertising technologies.
A separate industry report will examine the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for marketing communications, including opportunities for agencies and brands seeking to expand their operations across African markets.
The main conference programme on Thursday, November 12, features discussions on Nigeria’s economic outlook, the changing role of chief marketing officers, the readiness of advertising agencies for technological disruption, broadcast audience measurement and the growing influence of digital platforms.
Other sessions will examine the regulation of digital marketing and AI, the informal market, enduring advertising principles and the contribution of the industry to Nigeria’s creative economy.
Broadcast audience measurement is also expected to receive attention, with early insights from the DeepMove Meter television audience measurement system scheduled for presentation.
The system is expected to provide data relevant to broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies in assessing audience reach and campaign performance.
Data privacy and consumer protection will feature prominently in the conference’s breakout sessions, reflecting the growing importance of compliance with Nigeria’s data protection requirements.
Discussions will also explore generative AI and authentic storytelling, influencer marketing, Gen Z media habits, human creativity, broadcast digitisation and the future of out-of-home advertising.
The programme will further bring together Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, and Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Obi Asika, to discuss the advertising industry’s place in Nigeria’s creative economy.
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The conference, scheduled to run until Friday, November 13, is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to develop practical responses to the technological, regulatory and commercial changes confronting the marketing communications industry.
