Stop Treating Africa As Future Possibility, Steve Babaeko Tells Global Community At IAA Compass Launch
The VP/Area Director Africa, International Advertising Association (IAA), Steve Babaeko, has issued a strong call to global audiences, agencies, brands and investors to rethink their approach to Africa, urging them to stop viewing the continent as a future opportunity and recognise it as a present-day strategic partner.
The Visiting Fellow, Henley Business School, University of Reading (UK), said this at the launch of the new IAA programme, IAA Compass Africa, in his closing address on the topic “From History to Partnership: Why the UK-Africa Connection Matters.”
In a speech that resonated strongly with industry stakeholders, Babaeko reframed the UK-Africa relationship as one of the most commercially strategic alliances emerging in the global creative economy.
“The future of UK-Africa relations is no longer a conversation about history or aid,” he said. “It is a matter of relevance. It is a matter of opportunity. And increasingly, it is a matter of shared future.”
Moving beyond traditional diplomatic framing, Babaeko positioned the relationship as a clear growth opportunity for the marketing and communications industry.
“If we get this relationship right, it can become one of the most commercially exciting and culturally influential partnerships of the 21st century,” he stated.
Speaking to the UK audience, he said, “Africa should not be seen as charity territory. It should be seen as a strategic frontier.”
Babaeko built his argument around three interconnected pillars: history, culture, and economics, each tied directly to the future of global marketing.
In history, he referenced the early roots of advertising in Nigeria, noting that the industry’s evolution was closely linked to British commercial activity. While acknowledging the complexities of that past, he urged stakeholders not to remain trapped in it.
“Mature partnerships are not built by pretending the past did not happen,” he said. “They are built by understanding it properly, learning from it, and then choosing a better future.”
Highlighting culture as a powerful bridge, Babaeko pointed to the global rise of Afrobeats as a model for modern collaboration.
“The UK gave Afrobeats room to grow through diaspora communities, media and live platforms,” he noted, adding that the genre’s success demonstrates the power of co-creation.
“African creativity. British platforms. African stories. Global distribution that is a partnership model.”
Babaeko challenged the industry to abandon outdated assumptions and recognise Africa’s immediate relevance in global growth strategies.
“Africa is not a future possibility. Africa is a present strategic reality,” he declared.
He pointed to the continent’s youthful population, rapid urbanisation and expanding consumer base as key indicators of its rising importance.
He said, “Africa represents consumers. Africa represents workers. Africa represents the founders. Africa represents creators. Africa represents the next wave of demand.”
For global brands facing saturation in Western markets, he noted, Africa offers a compelling alternative.
“For the UK, this should not be seen as charity territory. It should be seen as a strategic frontier,” he reiterated.
The lAA Compass is a new programme designed to bring diverse perspectives to people seeking growth, opportunities and learning across borders. It kicked off with lAA Compass Africa, in collaboration with IAA Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria, and what a start it was.
The new programme opened with a keynote by Yaw Nsarkoh, described by organisers as one of the highlights of the event.
The initiative also received support from industry partners, including Women in Marketing Africa (WiM Africa), led by Andrea Djan-Krofa, who has previously collaborated with the IAA on major industry conferences and leadership events across the continent.
