Stephen Oluwatoyin Onaivi, Managing Director of MediaReach OMD has been elected Vice President of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), following the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at the Ogere Resort, Ogun State.
Onaivi, a communication and media professional with more than a decade of experience spanning media planning, account management and marketing communications across West and Central Africa, brings extensive industry experience to his new role.
A thought leader in media strategy and brand building, he has driven innovation and growth for several leading brands, including Vodafone, Airtel, Virgin Atlantic, Google, Promasidor, Uber, GSK and Diageo, across the West and Central African region.
An alumnus of Lagos Business School, Onaivi holds a degree in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos. He has also completed executive education programmes at the London Business School and attended several management training programmes and conferences at leading business schools globally.
Beyond his professional career, Onaivi is a keen golfer and advocate of community service. He is the founder of the “Play with Stephen” Golf Tournament, an annual event held in Accra, Ghana, which uses golf as a platform to engage key decision-makers and raise awareness and support for autism across Africa.
He has also held leadership roles across media strategy, planning and buying, and has contributed published works on media and marketing communications to Ghana’s Business and Financial Times.
Expressing his appreciation following his election, Onaivi said the confidence reposed in him by members of the association came with a responsibility to serve and contribute meaningfully to the growth of MIPAN.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who believed in me and supported my election as Vice President of MIPAN during the AGM.
“Your votes were not just a show of confidence; they were a reminder of the responsibility I now carry to serve, represent, and contribute meaningfully to our association. Thank you for your trust, your encouragement, and for believing that I am capable of making a positive impact. I do not take this opportunity for granted.”
The newly elected Vice President also pledged to work closely with the newly elected President, Brendan Nwagwu, the executive team and members of MIPAN towards advancing the association’s objectives and strengthening its contribution to Nigeria’s media and marketing communications industry.
Onaivi is a member of ARCON, MIPAN and the Advertising Council of Ghana.
The MIPAN AGM remains a major annual gathering of media independent agencies, advertisers, media owners and other industry stakeholders, providing a platform to deliberate on developments shaping Nigeria’s media and marketing communications landscape.
The latest edition further reinforced MIPAN’s focus on industry collaboration, professional excellence and innovation, while providing practitioners with insights and strategies to navigate the evolving media ecosystem.