By Clifford Amuzuo
The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has disclosed it is intensifying on preparatory plans towards a grand staging of year 2026 edition of the annual National Advertising Conference (NAC).
The Council said it is putting final touches to preparatory plans for the annual industry get together which is schedule to hold at the Abuja Continental Hotels venue between 11th to 13th November, 2026.
The Council, to this end, is reaching out to the various industry sectorial groups, the media and other interest stakeholders to rise to the occasion and lend their supports towards making a grand success of the annual Conference which unarguably advertising industry’s most outstanding thought leadership forum aimed at driving sustainable growth for Nigeria’s Marketing Communications ecosystem .
Briefing journalists during an interactive media session, prelude to the industry annual gathering , ARCON Director General , Dr Olalekan Fadolapo admonished Sectorial Associations leadership, the media and general interests stakeholders to build up their quotas and actively participate to ensure that this year’s NAC Conference is most impactful and remarkable in stirring the ship of growth for the industry.
Fadolapo who spoke through the Director of Regulations at the Council, Emme Akande, emphasized the Conference Theme : “Repositioning the Marketing Communications Industry in the Next Frontier “ noting that the Theme was timely and most auspicious considering that various sectors of the industry yearns for Repositioning in order to properly align and become competitive in the phrase of current emerging global order of Marketing Communications industry.
Sharing a detailed highlight of the Conference program activities, the Chairman, NAC 2026 Planning Committee, Tunji Adeyinka observed that the annual National Advertising Conference had since become a veritable platform for sharing important industry conversations that are necessary for updating and debating critical issues and for networking purposes across the industry. He added that over the years the Conference had metamorphosed to become an advocacy platform and a catalyst for critical changes in the marketing Communications industry.
Adeyinka noted further that in line with the Conference Theme, emphasis had been placed in most recent years on examining the “Next Frontiers” at different platforms looking at the impact of technology in relation to Artificial Intelligence, Changing Consumer behaviors, data management culture, talent attraction, the changing business models and Regulatory frameworks.
According to him, activities highlight for the three day conference would kick start with a fire side chat session that would be addressed by the Chairman, Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig Imokhuede, seasoned banker, financial expert and business entrepreneur.
The Choice of Imokhude, he explained is informed by the fact that over time, he has been in the forefront of industry restructuring, especially the banking and financial institutions where he has been able to manage different industry headwinds and taking advantage of it as well.
Adeyinka added that, one of the loudest industry conversations over the last two years centered on the regulation of digital marketing and Artificial Intelligence. The Conference Chairman added that , working in conjunction with ARCON and Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), the Committee had earlier put together a separate committee to provide solutions in the area of regulation of digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence , adding that outcomes of the Committee’s exercise would be formally discussed and presented to ARCON, the regulator and other key stakeholders thus providing an amended model for the regulation of digital Marketing and artificial intelligence in Nigeria.
“ One of the key presentations we would have at NAC is the outcome of the work of that committee and it would be discussed extensively with the regulator and other stakeholders so that what is finally presented at the NAC would be an amended model for regulating digital Marketing and Artificial Intelligence” he stated
Other features of events at the Conference would also include presentation of the findings of a separate Committee working on the African Free Trade Agreement ( AFTA) as well as its impacts on Marketing Communications , the practice and industry at large.
According to Adeyinka, there would also be Panel presentations centering on current state of Nigeria’s economy, especially in context of how it impacts on Marketing Communications industry. The Panel would be addressed by Olu Akanmu of the Lagos Business School faculty and Mr Ugochukwu Obi- Chukwu, CEO of Naira metrics.
Meanwhile sponsorship strength for the annual conference have continued to grow with the latest additions of Talaram group, foremost FMCG manufacturer and Four Pulley Limited in the category of Platinum sponsors. Speaking during the media briefing, the leadership of both organizations expressed their commitments and delight towards ensuring a grand success of the Conference events.
Present at the media briefing included the various Heads of Sectorial Associations in the industry , namely : Lanre Adisa, President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Tolu Medebem, President of Experiential Marketing Association of Nigeria ( EXMAN), Brenda Nwagwu, President of Media Independents Practitioners Association of Nigeria ( MIPAN), and the President , Out-Of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Dr Shola Akinsiku and a representative of the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON)
