The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), the umbrella body for advertising professionals in Nigeria, has secured a strategic training partnership with the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, a CHE-accredited institution based in Cape Town, South Africa.

The partnership is part of efforts to strengthen skills development across Nigeria’s marketing communications industry.

Speaking on the agreement signing, the President, AAAN, Lanre Adisa, noted that the partnership is a clear response to the mounting pressures faced by Nigerian agencies. These challenges include a shrinking pool of experienced talent, intensifying poaching of skilled professionals, and the rapid changes brought about by AI and shifting client expectations.

Adisa explained that the association is positioning the initiative as a long-term investment that will help grow the talent pipeline available to the sector, with a focus on leadership development and future-of-work readiness alongside core craft skills. He stated that the training, which begins in August, is aimed at closing the widening gap between industry demand and the pool of well-trained talent available to meet it.

“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.

The President further stated that the association will host a webinar later this month as a build-up to the training programme, bringing together industry professionals and clients for a conversation on talent, leadership and the changing demands of the industry. According to him, the webinar marks the public introduction of the partnership and offers a preview of the training programme ahead of its commencement.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of Red & Yellow Creative School of Business, Verusha Maharaj, described the partnership as a huge opportunity for marketing communication professionals in Nigeria to develop the capacity needed to thrive in the 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.