Design Leadership and Innovation Culture in Nigerian Advertising and Design Agencies

Design leadership, defined as the strategic deployment of design thinking and design management at organisational decision-making levels, is increasingly recognised as a driver of innovation culture in creative service organisations. This study investigates the relationship between design leadership practices and innovation culture in twenty-two advertising and design agencies operating in Lagos and Port Harcourt, South West and South South Nigeria. A mixed-methods approach combines a structured Design Leadership Inventory administered to agency directors and creative directors, in-depth interviews with fourteen agency leaders, and analysis of agency portfolio case studies to assess design-driven innovation outcomes. Findings reveal significant variation in design leadership maturity across sampled agencies, with established firms demonstrating more developed design governance structures and formal innovation processes compared to emerging agencies relying predominantly on individual creative talent without institutional design management frameworks. Agency leaders who combine formal design education with business management training are found to preside over organisations with stronger innovation cultures and higher client retention rates. The study develops a Design Leadership Maturity Model for Nigerian Creative Agencies, comprising five maturity levels across four dimensions: strategy, process, people, and culture. The model is validated through expert review and applied to six agencies in a facilitated self-assessment workshop. Recommendations include design leadership development programmes offered through the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria and accredited design institutions. Keywords: design leadership, innovation culture, advertising agencies, Nigeria, creative industries.