AAAN Unveils New LAIF Leadership, Sets Stage for 21st Edition
The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has announced the commencement of the 21st edition of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), unveiling a new leadership team for the festival’s Management Board as it moves to deepen its relevance and strengthen its position on the global creative stage.
The announcement was made by the newly re-elected President of AAAN, Lanre Adisa, at a press conference held in Lagos on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
The 21st edition of LAIF, themed “From Glitch to Great,” is scheduled to run from November 23 to 28, 2026, with a week-long programme combining creative recognition, industry knowledge-sharing, professional development and youth-focused initiatives.
The newly constituted LAIF Management Board is led by Funke Adekola, Managing Director of Dentsu Creative, as President, with Jumoke Akinyele, Business Director at Noah’s Ark Communications, serving as Vice President.
Other members of the Board are Victor Oyaroro, Tobi Williams, Rotimi Ade-Onajobi, Toheeb Balogun, Anne Obaseki, Dr. Meksley Nwagboh, Segun Akinyemiju, Sandra Amachree, Israel Obatunde, Olabisi Olusanya and Jonathan Oyovwevotu, who represents AAAN on the Board.
The new leadership brings together professionals from advertising, brand management, media, talent development and the broader marketing communications ecosystem, with the mandate to strengthen LAIF’s governance, sponsorship, jury processes, technical execution, communications and industry engagement.
Speaking on the theme, Adisa described “From Glitch to Great” as more than a festival slogan, saying it captures the realities of the creative journey and the resilience required to turn challenges into breakthroughs.
“Every great idea faces obstacles. Every creative breakthrough is preceded by moments of doubt, disruption, experimentation, and even glitches. What distinguishes great creators is not the absence of challenges but the courage and resilience to learn, adapt, and keep creating,” he said.
According to him, the theme reflects the natural progression from grit through inevitable glitches to greatness, a journey he described as central to both LAIF and creativity itself.
Adisa said AAAN remains committed to transforming LAIF from West Africa’s leading celebration of creativity into a globally respected benchmark for creative excellence, comparable with international platforms such as the Loeries, African Cristal and Pitchers.
“That journey from glitch to great, from local acclaim to global relevance, will demand more from all of us: more originality, more craft, more innovation, and more courage to create ideas that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the very best in the world,” he said.
In her remarks, the newly appointed President of the LAIF Management Board, Funke Adekola, said the new leadership would build on the lessons and structural gains of previous boards while creating a festival that reflects the evolution of the creative industry.
According to Adekola, the new governance structure is designed to mirror the realities of the modern creative economy and expand LAIF’s role beyond celebrating advertising excellence.
She said the Board aims to position LAIF as a benchmark for broader business and cultural impact and as a launchpad for what she described as the “next operating system for African creativity.”
“As we step into a brand-new cycle today, we are not here merely to announce an award show. We are here to announce an evolution. This board stands on the shoulders of two decades of remarkable progress, and we are stepping into this season with a commitment to honour our past while fearlessly defining our future,” Adekola said.
She added that the ambition is not only to celebrate outstanding creative work but also to catalyse the future of the African creative economy.
The 2026 LAIF Festival will feature a one-week programme designed to bring together advertising professionals, business leaders, creatives, technology practitioners and young talent.
The programme will include C-suite fireside conversations and masterclasses exploring areas such as technology, artificial intelligence, brand strategy and commercial growth.
The festival will also introduce youth-focused initiatives, including Young LAIFers and UniLAIFers, alongside youth hackathons aimed at empowering creative professionals under the age of 30 and engaging university-based creative communities.
The festival week will culminate in the Nominees Party and LAIF Awards Gala, where outstanding creative work will be recognised across various categories.
Entry dates for the 21st edition are expected to be announced subsequently.
With the new leadership and an expanded festival programme, AAAN is positioning LAIF for a new phase of growth, one that seeks to move the platform beyond its traditional role as an advertising awards festival and establish it as a broader celebration and catalyst for African creativity, business and culture.
As LAIF enters its third decade, the 2026 edition is expected to test whether Nigerian creativity can successfully make the leap from local recognition to sustained global influence from glitch to great.
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