Don’t Compete With AI, Command It – Lagos State Commissioner Urges Marketing Professionals At WIMCA 2026

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Hon. Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, has urged senior women executives to master artificial intelligence rather than be threatened by it, warning that the technology is reshaping marketing, communications and decision-making at a rapid pace.

Delivering the keynote address at the Women in Marketing Communications Conference & Awards (WIMCA) 2026, held at The Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos recently, Ambrose-Medebem told participants that executives must “understand AI, question it, use it, govern it,” but never surrender the distinctly human qualities of judgement, empathy, intuition, ethics and emotional intelligence to machines.

The event, organised by Awesome Communications under the theme “Grow. Give. Glow: Professional Resilience for Distinction,” brought together C-suite leaders, brand strategists and communications executives from across Nigeria’s marketing industry.

Besides her take on artificial intelligence, the commissioner built her address around three broader ideas; growth, generosity and credibility, which she said should guide women’s careers. She referenced global figures like former PepsiCo chief executive, Indra Nooyi and World Trade Organization director-general, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as examples of leaders who combined continuous learning with mentorship of others.

Ambrose-Medebem, linking her address to ongoing state initiatives, cited the Lagos State Industrial Policy, Invest Lagos, LASMECO and the state’s Export Readiness Programme as evidence of a shift from “potential to performance” in Lagos’ economic strategy.

She introduced what she called the “G3 Resilience Framework,” a set of nine questions built around growing capacity, multiplying impact through mentorship and sponsorship, and protecting long-term credibility. She paired this with a “3-3-3 Challenge,” asking attendees to commit over the next 90 days to learning one new capability, sponsoring one other woman, and strengthening one aspect of their professional reputation.

The commissioner closed her address by encouraging attendees to move from mentorship to sponsorship of younger and upcoming women in the industry, arguing that leadership “that terminates with you is not leadership at its highest level.”

The conference also recognised and awarded outstanding women from across Nigeria’s marketing communications sector.