The Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), the umbrella body for advertising professionals in Nigeria, has announced that the highly anticipated 2025 edition of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) will be a celebration of ’20 years of crazy’ at the Marriott Hotels, Ikeja, on the 29th to 30th of November 2025.
The association announced this today at a press conference held in Ikeja, Lagos, stating that the 2025 edition, which marks the platform’s 20th anniversary, will be a two-day festival, with the theme “20 years of Crazy”.
According to the LAIF Management board, led by Chairman Jay Chikwuemeka, this year’s edition introduces a Non-AAAN category to allow creatives from other sectors, such as film and media, to participate.
In his speech, the president of the Association, Lanre Adisa, represented by the Vice President of AAAN, Adekoyejo Abiola, said that LAIF’s 20th anniversary is not just a milestone but a mandate to keep the flair of creativity burning bright in Nigeria, in West Africa and beyond.
His words, “This year’s LAIF is a particularly special edition, as we mark 20 years of LAIF. 20 years ago, LAIF was born out of the above vision, to celebrate and elevate creativity within the Nigerian marketing communications industry, to celebrate and establish a credible and proudly Nigerian platform for peer organisation and industry benchmarking.
“Today, two decades on, LAIF has grown to become West Africa’s most prestigious creative showcase. A stage where ideas meet excellence and bold thinking meet reward. The journey has been one of continuous growth and, more importantly, consistent relevance. LAIF has championed the best work of our industry, it has mirrored our evolution from traditional storytelling to digital experimentation, from local insight to global impact, but more than being an award show, LAIF represents something deeper, it reviews works, one of the most powerful mechanisms for creative involvement and professional growth.”
Adisa appreciated everyone who has contributed to LAIF over the years. He said, “ I want to thank everyone who has contributed to LAIF in the past 20 years, the Jurors, sponsors, clients who have entrusted their brands in our care, participating agencies and many brilliant minds whose works continue to inspire us. Most importantly, I would like to thank the leadership of the LAIF management board, who have shown dedication and commitment over these past three years of their tenure”
Speaking on the role LAIF has played in the growth of the Integrated Marketing Communications Industry in the past 20 years, the Chairman of the LAIF Management Board is Jay Chukwuemeka, who expressed excitement to what 2025 edition of LAIF holds said, “Encouraging creativity is no child’s play, bear in mind that we have a lot of unsung heros like copywriters, designers and strategists. Those we mostly see at the end of an event are usually the agencies. Again, knowing that your work gets some sort of award and you can put it in recognition that adds immense value to the agency.
“Again, for us in the industry, it is not usually about money, it’s about the satisfaction of being called to that stage to pick up that Plague. LAIF brings relevance to the creative industry, advertising and marketing industry, as well as revenue. We all sort relevance in terms of the creativity we bring to the table, in terms of competing amongst each other, that relevance is what the LAIF awards encourage amongst the creative and advertising industry.”
Entry date for AAAN and Non-AAAN category award to be announced soon.