Executive leaders, brand architects, and marketing communications experts recently converged at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, for the second edition of The Industry Impact Summit and Top 50 Men of Impact 2.0.
Held in alignment with International Men’s Day, the summit served as a premier platform to explore leadership, mentorship, and the broader responsibility of men as societal and corporate builders.
In his opening remarks, the Convener of the Industry Impact Summit, Goddie Ofose, said, before I go further, please permit me to appreciate this year’s event faculty. They were carefully selected, and they all accepted my humble invitation to be here. I do not take that for granted.
According to him, these distinguished panelists for the summit are men who need no introduction in this industry, but I will introduce them with pride:
Franklin Ozekhome, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Chain Reactions Africa. A thinker, a strategist, a man whose ideas have shaped some of the most powerful campaigns in this country.
Stephen Onaivi, Managing Director, mediaReach OMD Nigeria. A leader who understands media not just as buying and selling, but as building connections between brands and people.
Yinka Adebayo, Group Executive Director, OMG WeCa. A quiet force, a man of depth, precision, and immense industry wisdom.
Otis Ojeikhoa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Brands Optimal Limited. An entrepreneur, a builder, a man who has turned experiential marketing into an art and a science.
Emmanuel (Charis) Adediran, Business Unit Director, Plus Acuity. A rising voice with a sharp mind and a heart for excellence.
And moderating this powerful conversation is Kenneth Iruonagbe, Group Head, Digital Marketing, TGI Group. A man who understands the digital pulse of this generation.
Please, let us celebrate them with a round of applause.
Their experience will shape the conversation of today. I urge you: please feel free to add your voice to it. This is not a monologue. This is a summit. Let us talk. Let us challenge each other. Let us learn. Let us be honest about what it means to be a man, a builder, and a leader in today’s Nigeria.
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Centering on the theme “Responsibility and Impact: The Role of Men as Builders of Brands, Business, and Society,” the summit featured an engaging panel discussion moderated by Kenneth Iruonagbe, Group Head of Digital Marketing at TGI Group.
During the session, panel members shared critical insights on how personal integrity, mentorship, and human capital development drive sustainable industry growth.
Highlighting the expanded responsibility of modern marketers, Franklin Ozekhome, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Chain Reactions Africa, emphasized that brand building extends far beyond commercial campaigns.
According to him, “It actively shapes the social fabric by influencing how individuals interact, form relationships, and build trust within their communities. Every strategic initiative and story you put forward helps establish cultural touchpoints, guiding everyday choices and defining the standards of engagement across diverse consumer segments.”
Speaking on corporate character, Otis Ojeikhoa, Managing Director/CEO of Brands Optimal Ltd, stressed that brands inevitably mirror the personal integrity of their creators, maintaining that long-term business sustainability relies fundamentally on strong individual character.
Addressing mentorship and legacy, Stephen Onaivi, Managing Director of mediaReach OMD Nigeria, remarked that true leadership is measured not merely by immediate business metrics, but by the growth, mentorship, and ultimate success of younger professionals entering the industry.
Citing his leadership journey, he noted that true professional fulfillment for him goes beyond corporate milestones, coming only when he sees the young talent around him making significant progress and stepping into their own authority.
Further emphasizing the human element, Yinka Adebayo, Group Executive Director at mediaReach OMG Nigeria, urged corporate executives to dedicate as much effort to personal development and people management as they do to meeting key performance indicators (KPIs).
Emphasizing that family remains everything, he noted that professionals should deliberately bring their families into their work by showing them the brands they build, ensuring loved ones share in the vision and feel truly connected to every success story.
Reflecting on the importance of recognition, Emmanuel Adediran, Business Unit Director at Plus Acuity Limited, expressed appreciation for structured platforms like the summit, noting that deliberate recognition fosters a continuous, self-sustaining cycle of leadership development across the industry.
Reflecting on his personal growth, he highlighted himself as a direct beneficiary of structured leadership development, emphasizing that this privilege creates a moral obligation to pay it forward by investing heavily in the mentorship and advancement of those under his leadership.
The event was convened by Goddie Ofose, Publisher of The Industry Newspaper, who described the gathering as a vital space to acknowledge the leadership, sacrifices, and quiet burdens carried by men in business and society.
The summit also coincided with Ofose’s birthday, providing an opportunity to express gratitude following his recovery from recent health challenges.
A key highlight of the evening was the formal unveiling of the Top 50 Men of Impact 2.0 list, honoring distinguished figures across marketing, media, and corporate leadership, including Tony Agenmonmen, Rufai Oseni, Biodun Coker, Stanley Okpara, Aninetie Udoh, Yinka Adebayo, Franklin Ozekhome, Emmanuel Adediran, and a posthumous honor awarded to the late John Ajayi, founder of MarketingEdge, for his foundational contributions to brand journalism.
Additionally, the Top 6 Special Recognition Awards were presented to leading agencies across six primary sub-sectors: SO&U- Advertising, Chain Reactions Africa- Public Relations, Lilvera- Digital Marketing, FPL Media- Out-of-Home (OOH), mediaReach OMD- Media Independent, and Brands Optimal Limited- Experiential Marketing.
Also, the convener announced the upcoming Industry Changemakers Summit, scheduled for December 4, 2026, which will focus on women’s narrative leadership under the theme “Voice and Visibility: Amplified.”
Photo Caption: L-R: Business Unit Director, Plus Acuity, Emmanuel (Charis) Adediran; MD, mediaReach OMD Nigeria, Stephen Onaivi; EVP, Strategy & Innovation, Chain Reactions Africa, Franklin Ozekhome; Editor-in-Chief, The Industry Newspaper, Goddie Ofose; Group Head, Digital Marketing, TGI Group, Kenneth Iruonagbe; Group Executive Director, OMG WeCa, Adeyinka Adebayo; and MD/CEO, Brands Optimal Limited, Otis Ojeikhoa all panelists at the 2026 Industry Impact Summit held in Lagos last week
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