Onwukaeme, who is the founder of the OOH Academy and convener of the prestigious Location Marketing Awards (LOMA), believes that Nigeria’s vibrant and rapidly evolving OOH market presents an ideal backdrop for this influential global event.

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He made the call following the recently concluded first in-person WOO Africa Forum held in Cape Town, South Africa where he made a case for Nigeria’s candidacy. “If you wish to truly understand and engage with the dynamic African market, especially if you have not yet entered our territory, then you have not touched base with the real essence of Africa,” he stated emphatically.

Highlighting Nigeria’s credentials, Onwukaeme pointed out that the country boasts one of the largest and most active OOH markets on the continent. “Our market is experiencing unprecedented growth in the OOH domain,” he said. “Nigeria is a fast-evolving market, leading positive disruption and shaping the future of the industry across Africa. We have what it takes, and more, to host the prestigious Africa Forum.”

The World Out of Home Organization, the only global association dedicated solely to promoting and improving the OOH industry on behalf of its members, witnessed a productive gathering in Cape Town. During the event, WOO President Tom Goddard outlined six key factors poised to drive further growth in the OOH sector in 2024 and beyond.

These factors include digital transformation, improving presentation standards and reducing lead times; media ownership consolidation, enabling markets to capture a larger share of ad expenditure; better measurement, building trust and enabling a common trading currency; automation, improving efficiency and enabling programmatic trading; value for money, leveraging OOH’s favorable reach and impact compared to other media; and winning the contest with online advertising, capitalizing on concerns over brand safety, fraud, and fake news plaguing the digital realm.

Onwukaeme, recognizing the significance of these factors, emphasized that for the Nigerian market to fully capitalize on these growth drivers, stakeholders must work collaboratively to establish an audience measurement system for the OOH industry. He highlighted the importance of measurement and data in enabling the success of programmatic and other location-based solutions.

Goddard also announced changes to the WOO board, with Dave Roberts of Primedia stepping down and Jacques du Preez of Provantage taking his place. Additionally, the board agreed to recruit another member representing Sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the region’s growing importance.

On a global scale, Goddard emphasized that sustainability remains a significant challenge for the OOH industry, alongside the “seemingly remorseless rise of digital.” Major brands and media agencies have set goals to achieve carbon net zero by 2030 and have stated that they will only buy media from Ad Net Zero-rated suppliers. In response, WOO has established a special task force and a dedicated website to assist members in meeting these sustainability targets.

Despite the challenges, Goddard celebrated the massive creative impact of recent OOH campaigns from global brands like McDonald’s, Gucci, Chanel, and British Airways, leveraging both classic (static) and digital OOH formats to their fullest potential.