On July 2, 2020, Steve Babaeko, a visionary leader in the world of marketing communication industry was elected president of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, AAAN at their 47th yearly meeting. He took over from Ikechi Odibo-led executive who equally took over from Kayode Oluwasona.
Steve’s journey to the presidency seat began few years when Babaeko served as the Publicity Secretary and later Vice President of the association. On July, 20, 2024, Steve bowed out as president of the association, having completed his term. He handed over to Lanre Adisa, another humble but pushful marketing communication executive with relentless drive.
Babaeko’s tenure as AAAN president was momentous as himself and his executive were instrumental to some of AAAN’s landmark achievements. Babaeko, Group CEO of X3M Ideas who is media friendly which is an indication of openness listed some of his accomplishments while chatting with BusinssDay at Abeokuta, venue of the 51st yearly meeting.
He said among the achievements recorded since 2020 when he was elected, is the appointment of the first female director of the association. This, he explained, is reflective of the association’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and one that sets a precedent for the future leadership of the AAAN.
Other achievements include the launch of AdCademy, in partnership with Henley Business School, an initiative conceived to enhance professional development and strategic capabilities of members to ensure that the association continues to lead the line of innovation in the industry. Through strategic partnerships, he added, the association’s reputation and relevance within the industry and beyond have been enhanced, while a collaborative and engagement culture has bred a strong sense of community within its diverse membership.
The AAAN, he equally stated, is hugely involved in the “Brand Nigeria Campaign”, which is hoped to spark the country’s rebranding journey that is proposed to begin in October this year.
“These achievements and more stand as a testament to our collective dedication and vision for the future of AAAN. We have remained steadfast in our commitment to fulfil the promises made during our campaign and today, I am proud to say that we leave our association in a stronger position than ever before,” he said.
Reflecting on the challenges, he noted that the encountered challenges were overcome with the support and cooperation of all the members, which have resulted in the remarkable achievements.
At the conference, the advertisers appraised the Advertising industry’s relevance to nation building, as they discussed “Breaking the Mold-Creativity and National Development”. Babaeko noted that the current economic realities necessitated the theme.
The conference featured presentations by filmmaker, Femi Odugbemi, and Chichi Nwoko of WHAT Media. In his presentation, Odugbemi prescribed the use of creative storytelling, noting that countries like South Korea have used creative storytelling through media to shape their national identity. “Similarly, Nigeria has the potential to tell compelling stories that can foster unity and drive development”.
On the topic, Babaeko said as a nation, we have a huge opportunity to use creativity as a tool for national development and break away from the mould of the negative spirit that seemed to have enveloped the nation.
“Though there are so many things we can improve upon as a country, but some less endowed nations have been able to find the positive energy to talk positive about themselves. This is what Nigeria should emulate. As custodians of creative industry which is advertising sector being the arrow head of the creative industry, the time has come for us to use the tool of creativity as a big weapon to turn around the negative story about Nigeria and turn it positive”.
Babaeko agreed that government has a huge responsibility to show some hope for the citizens, and give the hope for the citizens but said as a people “we need to stand up and checkmate the cynicism about the country”.
Chichi Nwoko said breaking the mould, creativity and national development is all rooted on education. It is important to educate the young people and get them to understand values and what Nigerian nation stands for.
She regretted that that many of the young people are not in school to learn traditional manner. The onus is on society and parents to make amends where necessary and be the first teacher to our children. That is how other countries like America did it to teach the children about values and pride of the nation.
Reflecting on the theme, Lolu Akinwumi, chairman of the occasion said in an era where change is the only constant, it is imperative for advertisers to continuously innovate and redefine the boundaries of creativity. “Breaking the mould requires us challenging the status quo, thinking beyond the conventional, and daring to explore uncharted territories. It is this relentless pursuit of innovation that drives the Advertising industry forward and sets the stage for transformative ideas”.
Akinwunmi further said that creativity is not just about producing aesthetically pleasing advertisements; it is about crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audience.
