George Isitua-Onukwu Assumes Office As CEO, TBWA\Concept Unit Nigeria, Unveils Mandate To Reshape Agency Into IP-Owning Creative Company

George Isitua-Onukwu has assumed office as Chief Executive Officer of TBWA\Concept Unit Nigeria. He stepped into the role today, July 1, 2026 with a clear mandate to reshape the agency from a service-led shop into an IP-owning creative company.

His message was direct: the future of advertising, in his view, lies in building platforms, owning ideas and creating measurable economic value, not just delivering campaigns. He said clients are demanding faster, cheaper output, while technology is making speed and craft easier to be used as commodities.

“Clients now want to work faster and at lower cost. Speed and craft are being commoditised,” he said, adding that the agency must go “beyond the brief” to stay relevant in a market disrupted by artificial intelligence, shrinking budgets and the rise of MarTech and AdTech platforms.

Isitua-Onukwu said his focus over the next three to five years will be to build a company that treats creativity as an economic asset. In his words, “What if creativity were treated as an economic asset, not a service? Companies that own things outperform companies that sell services. Creativity without ownership is philanthropy.”

That strategy will push the agency deeper into product development, intellectual property ownership and joint IP models with clients. It will also involve backward integration into tech, music and film, areas he believes can turn creative ideas into long-term revenue streams.

He said the agency is already laying the groundwork through platforms such as Oririndu, EkoCypher and other initiatives aimed at monetising culture, talent and storytelling. On the film side, TBWA\Concept Unit has produced Detour and plans to release Cursed Desire in cinemas later this year.

The leadership shift also marks a broader restructuring inside the agency. Isitua-Onukwu said new roles in product management, creative technology and digital transformation are being developed as part of the transition from a traditional agency model to a more diversified creative business.

He argued that agencies must stop focusing only on execution and start compounding value through ownership. He cited global entertainment formats such as Big Brother and Love Island as examples of how original ideas can become enduring assets.

“Some clients are now interested in platforms and IP, not just retainers,” he said, suggesting that the market is already moving in the direction he wants the agency to lead.

The new CEO also pointed to a talent problem in the industry. He said experienced middle managers are leaving for client-side roles or relocating abroad, while many graduates need extensive training before they can contribute meaningfully.

To address that gap, the agency plans to deepen partnerships with universities, including Covenant University, and create clearer career paths in emerging disciplines. “We need graduates who can add value immediately, like accountants,” he said.

Outgoing CEO Kelechi Nwosu, who led the agency from 2005, has now moved to the board as Non-Executive Director and shareholder. He said the company’s creative legacy remains intact and stressed that the agency will continue to evolve despite current business headwinds.

“TBWA\Concept Unit was founded on unconventional thinking. We have always been a strong creative organisation, moving products and ideas for ourselves and for clients,” Nwosu said. “From July 1, the mantle passes to George. We will continue to evolve despite the current business headwinds.”

Nwosu also said he is not leaving the industry entirely. “I am rewiring, not retiring. I will teach, consult, and remain engaged. Advertising is a jealous business,” he said.

Under Nwosu’s leadership, TBWA\Concept Unit delivered some of its most recognisable work, including Spirit of Lagos and Proudly Made in Aba, the latter supported by the Ford Foundation and the Abia State Government. He said the assets remain with the agency and that conversations are ongoing with the Lagos State Government to revive the Spirit of Lagos.

The leadership transition comes as the agency tries to reposition itself for a more technology-driven future. Isitua-Onukwu said the goal is to build an agency measured not only by output, but by economic impact, talent retention and the value of the ideas it owns.