The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has entered into a strategic training partnership with the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, a Council on Higher Education (CHE)-accredited institution based in Cape Town, South Africa, to help bridge the talent gap in Nigeria’s marketing communications industry.
The collaboration is aimed at strengthening skills development across the sector by equipping advertising professionals with the expertise required to meet evolving industry demands.
Speaking at the signing of the agreement, AAAN President, Lanre Adisa, said the partnership was a direct response to the growing challenges confronting Nigerian advertising agencies, including a shrinking pool of experienced professionals, increased poaching of skilled talent, the rise of artificial intelligence, and changing client expectations.
According to Adisa, the initiative is designed as a long-term investment to expand the industry's talent pipeline, with a strong emphasis on leadership development, future-of-work readiness, and the enhancement of core creative and strategic skills.
He disclosed that the training programme will commence in August and is intended to address the widening gap between the industry's demand for skilled professionals and the availability of qualified talent.
“For our industry to be future-ready, we need to tackle our talent challenge head-on. This is the reason we have sought out a partner with the experience and pedigree. Red & Yellow School is currently ranked as the top ad school in Africa and the Middle East, according to the latest Loeries ranking. Our intention is long-term. We believe this will, over time, help Nigeria pull its weight on the continent as we all expect,” he said.
Adisa also announced that the association would host a webinar later this month as a precursor to the training programme. The session will bring together industry professionals and clients to discuss talent development, leadership, and the changing dynamics of the marketing communications industry.
He noted that the webinar would formally introduce the partnership to stakeholders while providing insights into the training programme ahead of its launch.
Also speaking, Managing Director of the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, Verusha Maharaj, described the partnership as an important opportunity for marketing communications professionals in Nigeria to build the capabilities required to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving industry.
“Across Africa, agencies and marketing teams are dealing with similar pressures around talent, technology, leadership, and competitiveness. This partnership allows us to support a practical industry conversation about what creative businesses need now, and how education can respond more directly to those needs,” Maharaj said.
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