As part of Dentsu Global initiative to unite teams around the world as a force for good through its annual event, One Day for Change (ODfC), Dentsu Nigeria has brought the world of advertising directly into the classrooms of public secondary schools in Lagos, inspiring the next generation of marketers, creatives, and business leaders.
Each year, Dentsu markets around the world participate in the ODfC Initiative by organizing events near theiroffices, many supporting local non-profits. With this initiative, Dentsu aims to generate ideas for the future to solve challenges facing society through its people, across the world, participating in activities that contribute to local communities.
In 2025, the ODfC activities, across global markets,focused around four themes: How we live with nature; How we use things; How we eat; and How we support each other, aimed at encouraging employees to learn, support their wellbeing, give back to their communities, get out in nature and connect with colleagues in a meaningful way.
For the Nigerian market, Dentsu Nigeria explored the theme: “How We Support Each Other,” by poweringan impactful advertising career mentorship session with students at Army Children Secondary School, Ikeja,focusing on bridging the gap in career mentorship for students in Nigeria’s public secondary schools.
A key CSR commitment from the network, Dentsu Nigeria, is leveraging this ODfC initiative to stimulate interest in advertising and marketing careers among young people, providing early guidance to students who may otherwise not have access to mentorship or industry insights.
“Our goal is simple—catch them young and show them a path,” said Emeka Chris Okeke, Group Chief Executive Officer of MediaFuse–Dentsu Nigeria. “Dentsu Nigeria has a long history of supporting education, and we believe it’s our responsibility to inspire and empower students to explore the vast world of marketing and advertising.”
This year’s activation provided an engaging platform where professionals from Dentsu Nigeria facilitated interactive career sessions with students, demystifying the advertising world. These sessions covered four key career paths within the industry: Digital, Creative, Core Media, and Finance. The facilitators shared real-world insights, practical tips, and career opportunities with guidance tailored to each specialization.
Students were particularly energized by the session on Digital Marketing, led by Wilfred Emmanuel, Senior Digital Performance Manager at Dentsu Performance Nigeria, who explained how data and technology shape modern marketing. In the Creative session, Ezechimerem Ohaegbulam, Content Manager at Dentsu Creative Nigeria, took students through the creativity,storytelling, problem-solving and design processes that form the heart of impactful advertising.
For the Core Media stream, Chidinma Ugoji-Eke, Senior Media Executive at Carat Media Nigeria, helped students understand the importance of media strategy and planning in delivering effective campaigns. The session on Finance, delivered by Oluwatosin Ogundele, Finance Business Partner at Dentsu Performance Nigeria, introduced students to budgeting, negotiation and how to build confidence with money and numbers.
According to Kelani Mustapha, Human Resource Manager at MediaFuse–Dentsu Nigeria, the initiative is more than a one-off event. “This is part of our long-standing commitment to supporting education. We’re not just sparking interest—we’re building a pipeline of future professionals who can one day shape the industry,” he said.
The day concluded with vibrant interactions, Q&A sessions, and souvenir presentations for students who actively participated. Dentsu Nigeria intends to build on this momentum by hosting selected students in future agency immersion sessions, where they can experience advertising operations up close.
With One Day for Change 2025, Dentsu Nigeria reaffirms its position as not only a marketing powerhouse but also a purpose-led organization committed to community impact and youth empowerment.
