AAAN Partners Instotution to Address Talent Gap in Advertising

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.

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.