By Daphne Uduneje
As Nigerian businesses contend with shifting consumer preferences, tighter purchasing power and an increasingly competitive marketplace, leading companies across food, logistics, financial services and advertising are deepening their engagement with platforms focused on understanding the changing dynamics of value creation.
This is reflected in the growing corporate support for the fourth edition of the MediaConsortium Conference and Awards, with Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), SIFAX Group, Four Pulley Limited and AXA Mansard among organisations that have indicated their support for the 2026 edition.
The conference, organised by MediaConsortium, a brand, business and marketing publication, is scheduled for Friday, September 18, 2026, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Alausa, Ikeja.
The growing list of participating organisations underscores the relevance of the conference at a time when businesses are being compelled to look beyond conventional marketing approaches and reassess how they create, communicate and sustain value in a market increasingly shaped by informed and demanding consumers.
FMN, one of Nigeria’s major food and agro-allied business groups, and SIFAX Group, a diversified conglomerate with interests spanning maritime, aviation, oil and gas, logistics, financial services and hospitality, are among the latest corporate organisations to join the support base for the event.
Also supporting the conference are Four Pulley Limited, an out-of-home advertising company, and AXA Mansard, a financial services group with interests in insurance and investment.
Their participation adds further weight to an event that is bringing together businesses operating across sectors that are themselves undergoing significant transformation.
Earlier, Rite Foods Limited, Checkers Custard, Afriglobal Insurance Brokers, Nigerian Breweries (NB), Nestlé Nigeria, PZ Wilmar, Ajinomoto Foods Nigeria,
Integrated Indigo and Digisplash, among others, had indicated their interest in the conference.
The breadth of corporate participation is particularly significant against the backdrop of a Nigerian market where consumers are becoming more deliberate about how and where they spend, while brands face increasing pressure to demonstrate tangible relevance rather than rely solely on visibility.
For businesses, this shift has implications beyond marketing. It is increasingly influencing product development, customer experience, pricing strategies, brand communication and the broader cc relationship between companies and the consumers they serve.
It is against this backdrop that the 2026 conference is themed, “The Value Shift: Strategies for the New Market Reality in the Age of the Empowered Consumer.”
The theme speaks directly to a market environment in which the balance of influence between brands and consumers is evolving, with consumers having greater access to information, wider choices and stronger platforms through which to express their expectations and experiences.
The conference is expected to attract brand strategists, business leaders, marketing professionals, corporate executives, media practitioners, policymakers, entrepreneurs and students, providing a cross-sector platform for examining the forces reshaping Nigeria’s marketplace.
Beyond the exchange of ideas, the event is positioned as a platform for thought leadership, professional networking and knowledge sharing, while its awards component will recognise brands, organisations and individuals contributing to value creation, customer engagement, innovation and market relevance.
Focus on the New Consumer Economy
The intellectual direction of the conference will be reinforced by a keynote address from Dr. Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, President of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), who has confirmed her participation as keynote speaker.
Yinka Femi Opadere, Head of Digital at Glo, will serve as guest speaker.
Their presentations are expected to examine the conference theme from strategic and market perspectives, with industry experts subsequently interrogating the issues through a panel discussion.
The panel, to be moderated by Akonte Ekine, Chief Executive Officer of BrandXchange and Convener of the Consumers Value Awards (CVA), will feature Adewole Lawal, Sustainable Lead, Evercorp Industries; Oke Umurhowho, Head of Marketing, StarTimes; Olusesan Ogunyooye, Head of Marketing, AXA Mansard; and Olabisi Shonibare, Director, Partnerships, Grants Management and Innovations, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency.
Their discussion is expected to explore how organisations can respond to increasingly sophisticated consumer expectations while balancing commercial objectives with sustainability, innovation and long-term brand relevance.
For businesses operating in today’s market, the challenge is no longer simply to attract consumers, but to earn their confidence, demonstrate value and remain relevant as economic realities and consumer priorities continue to change.
The MediaConsortium Conference and Awards 4.0 therefore comes at a time when the conversation around value is expanding—from what brands sell to how effectively they understand consumers, respond to market shifts and create sustainable value across the wider business ecosystem.