Focused on personal development and growth, the conversation was exclusive to C-Suite female executives from various sectors across the economy.

In a conversation themed Living Purposefully, Governance, Courage of conviction and living a life of purpose were the key charges to the attendees.

The event rounded up with a charge by Nkiru Olumide-Ojo to pay forward the day’s investment to other women.

The lighthouse Network is a personal development agency focused on marketplace readiness and skills development for various stakeholders.

AT3 Resources, the event host is a leading communications consultancy agency focused on helping brands build connections through strategic communications and special events.

The session, themed “The Creator Economy: What Next After Social Media?” hosted industry experts, tech creators, and digital specialists, to a discussion on optimisation of technology to create prosperity whilst highlighting the numerous opportunities for creators to develop alternate sources of income. The lineup of panelists during the session included; Oluwasola Obagbemi, Corporate Communications Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Meta; Frank iTom, Creative Director, Frank Itom Creatives; Chinwe Egwin, Chief Economist, Coronation Merchant Bank and Oluwatobi Ayeni (Miss Techy), Tech Creator.

ALSO READ: A Shining Light: Tosin Adefeko’s Story of AT3 Resources at 5

Moderating the session, Tosin Adefeko, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AT3 Resources, said, “Before the advent of the creator economy, many of today’s creators would have been unemployed; creators for many years just engaged in their passions; now people can unlock their creative potential and give it value. As the country seeks to diversify its economy away from the dependency on oil revenues, we are simply excited to be able to bring this conversation to the frontburner at AfricaNXT 2023”.

Speaking during the session, Chinwe Egwin, Chief Economist, Coronation Merchant Bank noted that the creator economy is an evolving concept that will assist to boost job creation in Nigeria and if properly harnessed will likely compete with the oil industry. “The creator economy is borderless and creators need to seize the opportunities out there to promote their craft. However, to avail themselves of the opportunities, creators must ensure that they build the right structures required for their business to thrive.”

Commenting on how creators can stay ahead of the trends that will continue to shape the creator ecosystem, Frank iTom, Creative Director, Frank iTom Creatives stated that, “Creators need to explore new tools, carve a niche that sets them apart and remain consistent in their craft”. Oluwatobi Ayeni (Miss Techy), Tech Creator, also buttressed by saying that, “As a matter of fact, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is beginning to contribute significantly to the creator economy by helping creators create, edit and distribute content online. The possibilities are endless and looking at what the future holds, there will be an increase in competition and strict regulations, so the best time to start creating is now”.

Highlighting the myriad of opportunities that abound for potential and existing creators across Africa, Oluwasola Obagbemi, Corporate Communications Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Meta, said “The digital space is constantly changing and as such content creators must also evolve. The Metaverse is one platform that creators can explore to create amazing content and it opens doors to several opportunities for creators to learn and collaborate. Also, Meta has created resources that will enable creators to improve and  monetise their content online.

AfricaNXT 2023, themed “Cooperate. Collaborate. Innovate. Unlocking Our Potential, Ensuring Africa’s Prosperity” is currently in its 11th edition. This year’s conference brings together tech enthusiasts, founders, startups, entrepreneurs, policymakers and a broad range of industry stakeholders to engage in a solution-focused dialogue to chart the path for a sustainable Africa.

The training themed ‘Leveraging Possibilities for SMEs in The Digital Age’ was designed to empower SMEs to seize the growth opportunities present in the digital media era.

The intensive digital marketing bootcamp delivered by 15 marketing experts had in attendance participants who were armed with the best digital marketing tools, tips, trends, tactics & strategies to scale their businesses using digital tools whilst 10 corporate titans and leading entrepreneurs shared life and success nuggets.

ALSO READ: A Shining Light: Tosin Adefeko’s Story of AT3 Resources at 5

Speaking during the Bootcamp, Aishah Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria stated that “Small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and drivers of economic growth. Over 70% of the jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa and emerging markets are provided by small businesses.

“Running a successful business in Nigeria comes with certain challenges but to overcome the challenges in the ecosystem, entrepreneurs must identify opportunities, set goals, be open to knowledge, build a sustainable structure, nurture relationships, add value and envision a better world with the service they provide,” Ahmad said.

Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, the Chairman, Troyka Holdings Limited, while speaking urged business owners to define their mission from the onset in order to deliver great results and remain in business.

He said, “The ability to deliver creative work in a timely manner is very crucial to running a successful business. Also, as a business owner, leading with integrity, excellence, passion and building a team of leaders for succession is important in sustaining a business. To remain above the curve, entrepreneurs must seek to diversify, innovate and leverage digital resources available in this digital era.”

Sharing nuggets for success, Ibukun Awosika, Founder/CEO, The Chair Centre Group, charged participants to continuously renew and empower their minds through education. “My thirst and quest for continuous learning empowered me to build relationships and networks which has helped me broaden my mindset over time. Knowledge is important, however, maintaining discipline, staying teachable and upholding values such as respect, openness, fairness, right attitude, integrity is key to becoming a successful entrepreneur.”

Giving the closing remark during the last session, Tosin Adefeko, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AT3 Resources charged the participants to leverage knowledge from the training to carve a niche, grow their business and connect to a wider audience on the digital space.

“It is a delight to have hosted an impactful training for SMEs who are committed to scaling their businesses. I want to especially thank all the marketing communications experts who shared their wealth of experience. I encourage you to incorporate learnings from this training to scale your businesses,” Adefeko.

Speaking on behalf of the attendees one of the small business owners expressed gratitude for the opportunity and reiterated his plans to integrate the knowledge practically. “The skills gained from this training will be used to increase profitability for my digital marketing business. I am grateful to AT3 Resources for organising this impactful training and I say a massive congratulations as they mark their 5th anniversary.”

The AT3 Digital Marketing Bootcamp is its first edition in alignment with the company’s vision to lend its support within its core expertise area whilst using its sphere of influence to enrich the lives of SMEs who aim to carve a niche for their business in the digital space.

Photos and caption from the AT3 Resources Digital Marketing Bootcamp

Mrs. Tosin Adefeko, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AT3 Resources had a chat with select Editors in Lagos during the time she shared the story behind such huge successes the Agency has recorded so far. Peter Oluka was there for TechEconomy:

…In the Beginning

Tosin’s father, Dr. Femi Zakariya Adekanye, was a banker. He founded Commerce Bank Plc. The mother was also a banker with Union Bank for over 30 years. Banking job was so enticing, and it is still. So, you would expect that Tosin would become one (banker) herself.

Of course, you are not wrong. Coming from a family of accomplished bankers, she went into the banking industry at a young age too. But, it didn’t take her too long to realise that path was not for her!

“I hopped from bank to bank in the hope of finding ‘uhuru’ and it just never happened.  But I like to tell people that I learnt a lot from banking, my resilience and staying power, the ability to negotiate dispassionately, to serve, to initiate, build and sustain relationships; my business acumen, most of it I learnt from banking.

“They drill you to no end, very target driven environment, you snooze you lose, but to me, banking wasn’t what I wanted to do. I am very big on passion and doing what comes naturally to you. What would you do if no one was willing to pay you a dime? When people say ‘follow your passion,’ it should not be underestimated.

“In my banking days, once it’s time for MPR I had to go and sit with my bestie to explain exactly how those figures arrive at where they are. Figures just fly over my head. I only know how to count my money”.

Meanwhile, Tosin has always been the best at writing and speaking. She studied English and Literary Studies; even within the banks she worked, every appraisal stated she was best at communicating.

“I wrote my university project on Advertising, the first place I went to look for work was at AIT. I lived in Lekki at the time and the trip to Alagbado was like going to the moon. I abandoned that and started work at an oil company in Victoria Island. That’s the only reason I didn’t become a journalist. This was before my banking career though. Anyway, when I turned 30, I had a light bulb moment and knew it was time to take a decision on my career. I didn’t want to wake up and be 40 in a life I hated. I was earning good money in banking and had risen through the ranks but I knew it was time to leave”.

How Tosin ventured into marketing communications industry and the launch of AT3 Resources

Tosin is that women with inbuilt natural inclinations, abilities and passion. Instead of leaving banking and forcing herself into the Media and Communications industry without any training, she took two years off work even with a bay in tow and went to pursue a Master’s Degree in Marketing Communications.

“That was fifteen years ago, when I got back, I had a minor stint at GTB just to stay afloat financially since I was off work for a while and by now was completely broke.

“It was there that I met Prince Nduka Obaigbena. Prince Obaigbena was one of my major clients at the branch where I headed commercial banking at Guaranty Trust Bank, Ikoyi. Remember banking wasn’t the plan, so within a few months I just walked away. When I left GTBank, upon that I was the toughest on him when I was managing his accounts, Nduka started looking for me.

“I remember his phone call vividly – ‘Madam, I hear you left the bank? So, I basically told him not to worry about me that I am looking for a media job, serendipitously he had just set up Arise Magazine and he literally just said to me, come and work for me!

“He it was who got me into the media industry, because he gave me an opportunity to run Arise Magazine. I was the Business Manager of the Magazine and we had several meetings promoting the magazine home and abroad, but the magazine didn’t quite achieve the success the TV station now enjoys. After Arise Magazine, I moved to NN24 who were also just starting at the time and needed a marketing manager.

“NN24 was one of the most fantastic ideas of its time, but by my thinking it wasn’t run properly. Through this whole career navigation, I simply wanted to meet one man who was considered the most accomplished marketing practitioner, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, the Chairman of Troyka Group. Whilst I was a student, I had encountered him once on a plane and thought I should try my luck, I shot my shot as they say …well that didn’t go too far. When I got a second chance, this time to interview with him I basically just genuinely shared my life’s ambition to be a communications practitioner because that’s all I knew how to do and he gave me the opportunity.

“That singular decision he made in his office that day changed my story. As you can imagine after all the years of toiling, trying to occupy a space in the world driven by purpose and passion I gave it my all. Even when cantankerous characters thought they could bring me down, I basically just focused on my focus… I had a specific goal, to learn, grow and contribute my quota.

“After five years with the Troyka Group, specifically as Chief Operating Officer of the Public Relations arm of the business, I decided to leave to set up AT3 Resources. This was a company I had registered many years prior but didn’t have the network and or experience to drive it; so to your question, the company name was derived from my children’s initials.

“When I found a compelling reason to revive the company, I just had this small dream to consult for any company, brand or individual that needed support with framing their communications interventions.

“Bear in mind now I had worked with so many brands especially global brands. Many years I led brand building initiatives for Coca-Cola, P & G, Etisalat, Google, Microsoft, Sanofi, GSK, Skye bank, British Airways, Ford and many brands too numerous to mention.

“But I saw the gaps with service, I saw a gap with the ability to tell clients what was possible and what was not, for many it’s always a game of profit, trust me I like money too but I detest profit at the expense of service and reputation and I wanted to fill that gap in the industry.

“So, I tell my staff, we are never going to be everything to everyone, we must ensure we have common values, common goals before we take on a client. Because once we do, we must never fail them. It’s been a tough five years so if I must add no achievement would have been possible without the grace of God and the people that believed in us; when people ask me how we were able to do it, I tell them none of it would have been possible without people.

AT3 Resources: 5 years later

Tosin describes AT3 Resources as a ‘boutique communications agency’. What does that mean?

“In the first five years, the strategy was deliberate, it had to be organic growth, regardless of whatever was happening around us, the plan was to grow organically.

“The vision was to become the reference point in strategic communications solutions and that could only be achieved with commitment and consistency in service. As we went along, we also continued to identify the pockets of needs and we started seeing that while we had our own plans, there was a bigger market to be served.

In 2018, Tosin sowed three seeds. When AT3 Resources started she sent out three letters including one to a family friend who is an hotelier.

Coincidentally one of his hotels was going through a management change at the time and this young PR Agency helped manage the announcement to prevent any brand attrition; then, Tosin and the team have continued to serve various local brands on a project basis.

“We were signed up by Siemens as PR partner within our second year, even though that didn’t quite crystallise into much as they had some internal changes too; we continued to focus our efforts on the event side of the business, since project cycles were shorter and we had to stay afloat.

“I also started volunteering on platforms such as Women in Business (WIMBIZ) and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). I always tell people that you have to give before you get and this was my own way of giving, time and expertise. At the point in which I joined the NESG, I actually told them that I have some free time and I requested to offer my time on planning their annual economic summits.

“The first year I was a member of the communications committee but subsequently I was asked to chair their communications committee at the COC and JPC level. I did that for three consecutive years but I have now become too busy I have had to drop some of these commitments. It is time to refocus my time; as an entrepreneur, at every point in time there are different challenges that require full attention. You don’t want to wake up one day and you can’t pay salaries or there is no business. I remember our third year, that was the year of COVID-19 in 2020. We had a lot of events that were cancelled and we stayed for six months without jobs. But as God will have it, it was during that same COVID-19 year that we got our first big break.

The Meta (Facebook) account

“We had just concluded a project for a family and a member of that family who happens to work at Facebook recommended us to his colleagues who were then looking for agencies in Nigeria to pitch for their account.

“We had several pitches, evaluations, interactions after which we were selected as META’s communications partner for Anglophone West Africa. This is our third year on the business but beyond the gains of working on such an interesting brand, our practise was opened up to a whole new world of opportunities that went beyond even our own imagination”, she said with smiles on her faces.

Has it been all rosy for Tosin managing AT3 Resources?

Every young entrepreneur faces all sorts of challenges. It was no different for Tosin. According to her, managing people is one of the most difficult tasks in the world.

“In this short five years I have encountered a wide variety of characters. Bottomline for me is, we are here to serve and if we have accepted a client’s work, we have made a promise so we must deliver on that promise, it must get done.

Disappointing people is absolutely not in my character. If I foresee a commitment not happening due to circumstances beyond my control, I would tell you ahead, but not everyone has that spirit in them. At AT3 we encourage creativity, curiosity, integrity, service excellence and the ability to only say what you can do and never promise what you cannot deliver. I preach to my staff every day, if you do not have these traits, you are not an AT3 person. This is because the moment you begin to fail people, they lose trust in you, the moment they lose trust in you, your brand is dead. So, any day an employee breaks this promise, and then we can no longer be friends. Our talents that understand this know they are in a good place to work. We motivate, we encourage, we train. So, that there won’t be reasons to disappoint our clients.

“We all still grapple with a dearth of skill in the PR industry. So, I guess we need measures to upscale talent in the industry. This is also one of the reasons we are putting together a one-week boot camp to enhance skills and support SMEs.

Looking into the future

For AT3 Resources, the future is bright. The Agency recently invested in its own premises, which is just not a building but a story in itself; in that building brands will be built and revived, perceptions will be built and shaped; special events will be curated and staged.

ALSO READ: AT3 Resources Clocks 5, Launches Digital Marketing Bootcamp for SMEs

“Our opening event was a testament to what we intend to do with that space. It was a movie! We stayed quiet for all these years to build now we are ready to take on the world. There is power in connection and the world is moving into an age of endless connection and endless possibilities.

“Who else needs to be there to help you on that journey, than we that understand the power of the mind, the power of decisions, the power of urgency and the power to listen to what your audiences are saying? We are properly primed to support you in your quest to connect!” she boldly declared!

To mark this milestone, the company will be hosting a week-long digital marketing bootcamp for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), themed ‘Leveraging Possibilities for SMEs in The Digital Age.’

The bootcamp which is the first edition is designed to empower SMEs to seize the growth opportunities presented by the digital era. During the bootcamp, participants will be armed with the best digital marketing tools, tips, trends, tactics and strategies from leading industry experts that will support them in their quest to actualise their full potential as well as shape how they connect with their target audiences.

Speaking on the initiative, Tosin Adefeko, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AT3 Resources, said, “In the course of our journey, we frequently encounter small medium businesses who desire communications interventions but do not have the requisite knowledge or resources to support their growth. In commemoration of our milestone 5th anniversary, we decided to lend our support to the growth of small businesses in tune with our belief that SMEs are the lifeblood of our economy”.

The bootcamp will be facilitated by a blend of digital marketing and communications experts such as Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Founder, The Lighthouse Network; Frankline Ozekhome, Pop Culture Strategist; Rufai Oseni, Global Speaker & Development Expert; Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu, Founder, Nairametrics and Oluwasola Obagbemi, Corporate Communications Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Meta among many others.

To enrich the learnings, 10 business leaders/corporate titans and accomplished entrepreneurs are lined up to share their personal ‘Recipe for Success’ nuggets with the participants. On the line up are Aishah Ahmad, Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria; Asue Ighodalo, Founding Partner, Banwo & Ighodalo; Austin Okere, Founder, CWG Plc; Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman, Troyka Holdings Limited; Dimeji Salaudeen, Partner, KPMG; Folake Soetan, CEO, Ikeja Electric; Ibukun Awosika, Founder/CEO, The Chair Centre Group; Osayi Alile, CEO, ACT Foundation; Steve Babaeko, CEO/Chief Creative Officer X3M Ideas, President, AAAN; and Tara Fela-Durotoye, CEO, House of Tara International.

The digital marketing bootcamp will enable SMEs to take advantage of growth prospects in the digital media era.

The bootcamp will include a deep dive into areas like, online reputation management, communications strategy, digital marketing, brand & visuals, and the ‘Always on’ Entrepreneur.

The rankings will encompass the Top 100 brands in Africa, and the leading brands in West Africa and Nigeria – and the brands Africans regard as symbolising African pride. 

Despite optimism about the continent over the past 10 years, on average only 20% of the leading brands admired by Africans are made in Africa. 

However, against the backdrop of rebuilding economies devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the urgency to respond to the impact of climate change and broader sustainability issues, and the acceleration of AfCFTA’s goal of driving greater intra-African trade there is anticipation that over the medium term, African brands will begin an upward competitive trajectory.  

In Nigeria, Coke, Dangote, DSTV and GT Bank have dominated the rankings over the years. Samsung is the #1 regional brand in West Africa. 

Which brands will lead in 2022? Will the rankings reflect a shift in the share of Top 100 for African brands? Which brands do Africans regard as embracing African pride?

In recognition of the outstanding individuals whose leadership has been a catalyst for sustained brand-led growth for their Made in Africa brands and businesses and their contribution to the industry over the years, this year Brand Africa will recognize a corporate leader and a practitioner from the marketing, branding, communications, research and media industry with an Africa Brand Leadership Excellence award.

The event will be livestreamed from Lagos, Nigeria.

Register here and join a global and African audience of leading thought leaders, media and decision makers focused on building, invested in Africa’s success.  

The results will once again be published as the cover feature of African Business which will be on sale globally from beginning of June 2022.

The 2022 Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands will be presented by Tecno, organised by Brand Africa partners in Nigeria, AT3 Resources and Open Squares Africa, and supported by Africa Media Agency and BCW in communication globally.