The National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) has announced the launch of its inaugural LeadHers in Marketing Conference, a landmark event designed to empower, mentor, and elevate women within the marketing profession. Scheduled to take place on Friday, 6th March 2026 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, the conference is themed “Redefining Influence: Women Shaping the Future of Marketing”.
The initiative marks a strategic shift for the Institute, moving beyond simple representation to actively driving leadership and visibility for women in the industry. By aligning the event with the month of March to coincide with International Women’s Day, NIMN aims to celebrate the strides women have made while addressing the “ground still to cover” in reaching top-tier leadership roles.
Dr Bolajoko Bayo-Ajayi, President of NIMN at the Press Conference held at the institute’s Secretariat, explained that the “LeadHers” initiative was born out of a desire to see women move past functional marketing areas into visionary leadership positions.
“For us, it’s not just about saying we are women in marketing,” Dr Bayo-Ajayi stated. “The vision is to ensure that we’re building women into leadership positions by providing a platform to drive visibility, make an impact, and provide mentorship”. She noted that while women have made significant progress, there remains a “general assumption” that marketing roles do not always lead to the same executive heights as fields like finance. The initiative seeks to “clean that narrative” by focusing on capability, career development, and professional integrity.
Discussing the choice of theme, Dr Bayo-Ajayi highlighted that influence in the modern marketing landscape is shifting. “Redefining Influence” focuses on moving away from personal achievement toward building a “pipeline” for the next generation.
“The job doesn’t end in your personal achievements,” the President remarked. “It’s actually how you then begin to build a pipeline and encourage other women to learn from your journey. If there’s nothing that bridges the gap between the old and the new, then the process is truncated”.
The conference will feature a prestigious array of guest speakers and industry veterans carefully chosen for their ability to inspire and lead.
Special Guest of Honour: The event will be graced by Folashade Bada Ambrose, the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment for Lagos State. Her presence underscores the Institute’s close ties with the government, as the NIMN was established by an Act of Parliament under the Ministry of Commerce.
The keynote address will be delivered by the Osayi Alile, CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation(ACT). Though she comes from the NGO and grant-giving sector rather than a traditional marketing background, Dr Bayo-Ajayi noted she was selected as a “leader who inspires” to demonstrate that leadership transcends specific industries.
Following the keynote, a panel of three distinguished women—including industry leaders such as Chioma Afe, Director of External Affairs , Seplat Energy; Adebola Williams, Marketing Director at Promasidor; and Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka ,Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) will discuss the future of women in marketing and the evolving nature of influence. The session will be moderated by Chizor Malize, Director-General of the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC),, a prominent member of the NIMN.
A highlight of the day will be a Fireside Chat featuring Folake Soetan, CEO of Ikeja Electric PLC. This session will focus on digital visibility and how leveraging the digital space can drive a personal brand and career growth. The chat will be moderated by Tosin Adefeko, Founder and CEO of AT3 Resources.
The LeadHers in Marketing Conference aims to target a broad audience, from students aspiring to enter the profession to women in FMCG, government, and the wider marketing ecosystem. Ultimately, the NIMN hopes to position Nigeria as a hub for competent women leaders who can contribute meaningfully to the industry and the nation at large.
“We want our women to get to leadership positions and strengthen the path from marketing to other executive roles,” Dr Bayo-Ajayi concluded.
