STEVE BABAEKO: Redefining Advertising in Nigeria

Steve Babaeko, the immediate past President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, is no doubt a man of class and excellence who left office with an immutable scorecard and record of enduring achievements. Recently, the crème de la crème in the country’s marketing communications landscape assembled at Park Inn by Radisson, Abeokuta, to celebrate this advertising colossus with testimonies of how he raised the bar for the professional association and its members, Raheem Akingbolu reports.

When the founder and Chief Executive Officer of X3M Ideas Limited, Steve Babaeko, assumed office in 2020 as the President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), the association was already losing its steam and comradeship. Besides, his ascendance was smacked in the middle of the pandemic and this compounded the challenges ahead.

Interestingly, the Annual General Meeting that ushered him in was the first and perhaps the only virtual AGM in the history of the association. People logged in from everywhere as anticipation heightened about the new leadership of the association.

AAAN is the natural flagship of the Advertising Sectoral Group.

However, over time, the association has gradually lost its quality and market leadership due to various factors. Hence, stakeholders decided to promote a vibrant and forward-thinking member, akin to a Biblical messiah, to reposition AAAN and, by extension, the advertising industry. This responsibility fell on Babaeko.

In his revolutionary manifesto, Babaeko didn’t read a long speech or resort to the usual rhetoric of industry politicians and unionists; rather, he spoke like a man who already had his work plan, with a determination to embark on world-class positioning for AAAN, the advertising profession and women empowerment.

Having gathered over two decades of experience in the advertising business, Babaeko was recognised by his supporters – spanning the old, the young, and the upcoming – as having the capacity to reposition AAAN.

Babaeko attended the Federal School of Arts & Science, Suleja, after which he proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied Drama. He has attended several leadership programmes at Harvard School of Business and Stanford Business School. There are many iconic and evergreen brand campaigns to his credit.

Beyond his local experience, Babaeko was already making inroads into the global market, which culminated in his agency becoming the first firm in Nigeria to clinch Bronze at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity last year. 

As of 2020, Babaeko was the only Nigerian named in Adweek’s elite list of 13 Global Creative leaders, and for three years running, had served on the Grand Jury of the New York Advertising Festival, as well as being a keynote speaker at the 2018 International Advertising Association Conference. His impressive stint in the international advertising scene also saw him act as a judge on the 2017 The Loeries Awards. All these achievements, coupled with his dynamic capacity informed his nomination to lead the body at a critical period of its history.

Fast forward to 2022, when Babaeko and his team, including Jenkins Alumona and other young and fresh blood in the industry, would complete their first term in office, stakeholders yearned for more. Meanwhile, many pundits have opined that the combination of Jenkins, another consummate practitioner who has made a huge success out of integrated marketing and Babaeko was the magic wand that unearthed the decaying bone of the AAAN. At the association’s 49th AGM in Lagos, the tenure of members of its executive board was renewed and so Babaeko and other members of the team began a fresh journey to up the ante for AAAN.

The recent AGM of the association provided a moment for reflection as Babaeko’s two terms, marked by notable achievements, were assessed and evaluated by members and friends of the association. Like a football captain, Babaeko stood tall when stakeholders, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reeled out the various achievements of the administration and how the creative egghead collaborated with the Federal Government to see to the success of various national issues. The theme of the 51st AGM was; ‘Breaking the Mould: Creativity and National Development.’

In his typically humble manner, Babaeko declined to comment on his achievements during an interview with reporters at the opening ceremony held at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta. Instead, he left it to the elders and other stakeholders to speak on his accomplishments. The strategy worked because the stakeholders had more than enough to talk about. They spoke glowingly about the growth witnessed in the industry during the four-year reign of Babaeko and his team and ex-rayed the quintessential Steve as a game-changer. 

The Director General of the Advertising Regulatory Council (ARCON), Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, who wore two caps to the event to represent the Minister and his office, set the ball rolling with huge encomiums and tributes to the man of the day. Fadolapo described the former president as a man who swam against the tide and rewrote the history of the association.

“We are all here today fulfilled that a man has come, saw, and conquered. Babaeko’s midas touch is extraordinary and this can be seen boldly on the wall about how he has transformed the association. Without any iota of contradiction, I can beat my chest that Babaeko has built well on the foundation laid by the industry’s founding fathers and took it further. I’m also convinced that AAAN is transited into another able hand of tested professionals who know their onions. Congratulations to Babaeko’s team because they have sailed well while in office,” Fadolapo said.

This was also the position of the Chairman of the conference, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi under whom Babaeko cut his teeth in advertising. While reflecting upon the remarkable tenure of Babaeko and his executives Akinwumi admitted that during their tenure, their unwavering commitment and visionary leadership steered the AAAN through a period of dynamic transformation.

“Mr. President and team, under your guidance, our association has not only navigated the challenges of an evolving advertising landscape but has also seized opportunities to elevate the standards of our industry in a very challenging economy.”

The conference featured presentations on the theme by accomplished filmmaker Mr. Femi Odugbemi and Chichi Nwoko of WHAT! Media.

Odugbemi, who is also a formidable force in the advertising sub-sector of the economy, is the Founder/CEO of Zuri24 Media. Before going into the nitty gritty of his presentation, he took time out to speak about Babaeko, whom he described as a ‘pride of Africa.’

In his remarks, Babaeko simply described the association as an entity that is now stronger than it had ever been. While noting that the AAAN has encountered significant challenges, he stated that these have been overcome with the support and cooperation of all the members.

According to him, among the achievements recorded under his team were the appointment of the first female director of the association, the launch of AdCademy, involvement of AAAN members in the “Brand Nigeria Campaign,” among others.

Though neither the former President nor other speakers made reference to Babaeko’s philanthropic endeavours and the feasibility he gave the industry within local and global media landscapes, the record shows he achieved a lot in these areas. For instance, upcoming practitioners to whom he gave wings to fly will not forget him in a hurry. One such person is Sherif Lanre Akinpelu, who has just graduated from Henley Business School, Africa (South Africa). Akinpelu recently paid tribute to Babaeko on his Facebook page and informed the world that he was a product of AdCademy Nigeria.   

As Babaeko bowed out with a remarkable chain of glittering achievements, pundits looked back and concluded that his ascension into office four years ago was indeed for a mission: a mission of destiny reconstruction, reformation, and global visibility of the nation’s advertising industry. Today, the global and national recognition enhanced by the industry is, to say the least, a visible testimony to the sagaciousness of Babaeko’s leadership qualities.

Joyfully, in a parting message to members, he graciously dropped the hint that he was sure that the current administration, under the leadership of another successful adman and Managing Director of Noah’s Ark Advertising Limited, would take the association higher than he did.