Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, Engagement and New Media Strategy, O’Tega Ogra, has emerged the new President of Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), even as he assured of prioritising industry collaboration, innovation and professional development.

Speaking at the association’s 2026 yearly General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos recently, he stated, “I would like to sincerely thank our immediate past President, Osamede Uwubanmwen, for his sacrifice, commitment and outstanding work in advancing the interests of advertisers and strengthening our industry.

We are committed to building on the solid foundation that has been laid as we work together to position ADVAN for even greater impact.”

Ogra, a member of the Governing Council of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), added his administration as one that would prioritise stronger industry collaboration, innovation, professional development and constructive engagement with regulators to ensure a more enabling environment for advertisers and brand owners.

To him, “sometimes, you can’t use the same weapons that you used to fight a war to solve the war. Let’s see how we can get the people who consider themselves our enemies back to the table. We are ready to meet as partners in an atmosphere of mutual respect because the industry stands to benefit more from collaboration than conflict.”

The AGM was followed by the ADVAN Executive Leadership Session where Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kainos Edge Consulting Ltd., Doyin Salami gave a keynote address on, “The new rules of growth: Navigating Nigeria’s evolving economy and consumer landscape.”

He noted that while the nation’s macroeconomic outlook is improving, businesses must adapt to a marketplace where affordability has become the defining driver of consumer decisions.

To him, “volume is replacing price,” adding that companies can no longer depend on price increases to sustain growth as consumers become increasingly value-conscious.

He urged business leaders to embrace affordability, innovation, operational efficiency and deeper consumer understanding, stressing that regulation, agility and strategic capital allocation will increasingly determine competitive advantage.’

In her keynote address, founder and Chief Executive Officer of EBO and Vettify, Crystal Berger, observed rapid rise of AI-generated content, deepfakes and digital misinformation has made trust one of the most
valuable assets any organisation can possess.

Speaking on the topic, ‘The future of brand trust: Thriving in an AI-powered world,’ Berger said, “attention gets you noticed. Trust gets you chosen,” she said, urging brands to move beyond visibility and deliberately invest in credibility, transparency and verification. She noted that organisations capable of building trust infrastructure today would be better positioned to lead tomorrow’s digital economy.”