By Daphne Uduneje
The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the creative economy is reshaping how brands develop campaigns, engage consumers and deploy advertising resources, raising fresh questions about the future role and relevance of traditional creative agencies in Nigeria.
The implications of this technology-driven shift will come under scrutiny at the 2026 Brands and Marketing Conference organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), as leading professionals across advertising, marketing, technology and communications converge to examine AI’s growing influence on the country’s creative ecosystem.
Scheduled for November 6, 2026, at the Luxury Event Centre, No. 2 MKO Abiola Drive, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
The conference will bring together marketing executives, media practitioners, corporate leaders, brand custodians, students and other stakeholders.
With the theme, “Advertising in Nigeria and AI: Who Needs Creative Agencies Anyway?”, the conference is designed to move beyond the excitement surrounding AI and examine its practical implications for agencies, brands and professionals whose traditional roles are increasingly being reshaped by technology.
Among those billed to lead the conversation are Dr. Seyi Akindeinde, Founder of Hyperspace Technologies; Angela Ukara-Makinwa, Director, Client Engagement, Strategy and Creative, EXP Marketing; and George Isitua-Onukwu, Chief Executive Officer, TBWA\Concept.
Their participation is expected to bring together perspectives from technology, strategy, creativity and brand communications, providing a multidimensional view of how AI is changing the way advertising and marketing functions are conceived and executed.
The panel discussion
will build on presentations by veteran advertising practitioner, ‘Lolu Akinwunmi, Group Chief Executive, Prima Garnet Africa Nigeria, who will deliver the keynote address, and Bethel Obioma, Group Head, Communications, Sahara Group, who will serve as guest speaker.
Their presentations are expected to set the intellectual context for the panel, particularly as the advertising industry grapples with the opportunities, disruptions and emerging business models associated with AI.
At the centre of the conversation is a question with significant implications for advertising agencies and their clients: as AI-powered tools become increasingly capable of generating content, analysing consumer behaviour, automating processes and supporting creative development.
How should the traditional agency model evolve?
For advertising agencies, the emergence of AI represents both an opportunity to enhance productivity and a disruption to established ways of working. The technology is already influencing expectations around speed, cost, content production, data analysis and campaign execution.
For brands, the growing accessibility of AI tools could also influence how marketing budgets are allocated and the extent to which creative and production functions are outsourced.
This could place greater pressure on agencies to redefine their value proposition, moving beyond conventional content production and campaign development towards deeper strategic, technological and creative capabilities.
It is against this backdrop that BJAN said the conference is intended to stimulate informed industry dialogue and strengthen engagement among stakeholders within Nigeria’s marketing and communications ecosystem.
Chairman of BJAN, Daniel Obi, said the conference would provide a platform for professionals to examine emerging developments affecting the industry.
According to him, the initiative reflects the association’s role as brand journalists in facilitating meaningful conversations around developments shaping the sector, while creating opportunities for stakeholders to exchange ideas and perspectives.
The panel session, one of the major highlights of the conference, will be moderated by Tolulope Medebem, COO/Lead Consultant at Aster Integrated Marketing Limited and President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN).
Also expected to participate is Adeola Amosun, Group Head, Media, Tolaram Group, alongside other experienced professionals who have confirmed their participation.
The November 6 gathering comes at a time when the boundaries between technology, creativity, media and marketing are becoming increasingly fluid.
Beyond examining whether AI can replace aspects of traditional agency work, the conference is expected to explore how agencies, brands and creative professionals can adapt to an operating environment in which technology is changing the economics, speed and processes of advertising.
For Nigeria’s marketing and communications industry, the emerging challenge is therefore not limited to the capabilities of AI itself, but also to how businesses and creative professionals respond to a rapidly changing industry landscape and redefine the value they bring to brands and consumers.