BY NGOZI ONYEAKUSI

L–R: Dr. Dare Ogunyombo, Lecturer, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye; John Ehiguese, CEO, Mediacraft Associates, Lagos; Daniel Obi, National Chairman, Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN); Clara Okoro, Immediate Past Chairman, BJAN; Dr. Samuel Ayetutu, Chairman, NIPR Lagos Chapter; and Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands and Communication, Interswitch, at the 2025 Brands and Marketing Conference organised by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), held recently at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
 
At the 2025 Brands and Marketing Conference hosted by the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), Dr. Cherry Eromosele, Executive Vice President and Group Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Interswitch Group, emphasised the need for marketers and journalists to adopt a balanced, collaborative approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Her keynote address was delivered on her behalf by Tomi Ogunlesi, Divisional Head, Brands and Communications, Interswitch. Speaking to the conference theme, “AI and the Future of Marketing Workflow: Disruption or Opportunity?”, Dr. Eromosele noted that AI has already reshaped how content is created, distributed, and evaluated. She emphasised that while the technology unlocks new levels of efficiency, it also requires responsible adoption and continuous human oversight.
In her words:
“The real risk is not in the technology itself, but in the reluctance to adapt. AI will enhance human output, but it still requires human judgment to ensure accuracy, context, and responsible use.”
She stressed the importance of sustained capacity building for marketing and communications professionals, adding that organisations must empower their teams with the skills needed to work confidently with AI-powered tools.
“Human insight, creativity and ethical consideration remain essential. Professionals who understand how to integrate these strengths with AI-driven capabilities will be better positioned for the evolving landscape,” she said.
Her session also incorporated interactive elements, including demos and video clips that showcased both the promise and the pitfalls of AI such as AI-generated newsroom mistakes and unpredictable outputs, reinforcing the need for careful human review in all automated workflows.
Dr. Eromosele expanded on the structural shifts AI is driving in the marketing ecosystem, highlighting the ‘New Marketing Trinity’ of data, creativity and algorithms, where AI now acts as a powerful multiplier that accelerates insight, precision and storytelling across multiple touchpoints.
She went on to outline five major transformations redefining modern marketing practice, including the shift from campaigns to always-on brand conversations, from fixed demographics to dynamic personas, and from traditional media buying to predictive distribution models that anticipate audience needs even before campaigns begin.
She also noted that emerging Agentic AI systems are evolving from basic content generators into autonomous co-workers capable of planning, learning and executing tasks, enabling brands to operate with unprecedented operational efficiency and speed.
Despite these advancements, she emphasised that the industry is entering “The Age of the Augmented Marketer,” where AI amplifies human capability rather than replacing it. According to her, this new era demands skills such as data storytelling, AI literacy, no-code orchestration and multi-modal content creation, all anchored in strategic thinking, ethics and cultural insight.
Dr. Eromosele also cautioned that increasing AI adoption introduces significant risks, ranging from misinformation and algorithmic bias to IP breaches and reputation threats, calling for strong governance frameworks, ethical guidelines, audit trails and mandatory human review points.
Addressing journalists directly, she noted that AI is now deeply reshaping newsroom workflows, from story discovery and verification to production and personalisation, making trust, ethical literacy, subject-matter expertise and verification-first reporting more essential than ever in an increasingly automated media environment.
Held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the BJAN Conference brought together industry experts, technology leaders and brand journalists for a rich examination of the shifts redefining marketing practice. The event opened with a welcome address by BJAN Chairman, Daniel Obi, followed by remarks from the Guest of Honour, Udeme Ufot, Group Managing Director, SO&U. A special address was also presented on behalf of Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON, by Lady (Dr.) Sussie Agbo, Director of Registration at the Council.
The conference featured additional keynote contributions from Bethel Obioma, Head, Corporate Communications, Sahara Group, and a panel session comprising Segun Umoru (representing Lanre Basanta, Co-Founder/CEO, Optima AI Lab), Emma Adeniran, ICT expert, Dr. Seyi Akindehinde, CTO, Digital Encode, and Tomi Ogunlesi.
Moderated by Adedayo Odulaja, Secretary, BJAN, the conversation explored AI governance, workflow optimisation, cybersecurity risks and the evolving role of marketing professionals in an AI-enabled world.
As conversations around AI continue to shape the future of marketing and communications, Interswitch reaffirmed its commitment to driving innovation, thought leadership and industry-wide capacity building. The brand’s participation at the BJAN Conference emphasised its long-standing dedication to advancing responsible, technology-enabled marketing practice across Nigeria and beyond.