Nigeria’s corporate event planning industry is fast emerging as a serious economic powerhouse, operating within a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem.
Globally, the corporate event market hit $330.9 billion in 2023 and is forecast to nearly double to $730.7 billion by 2035, growing at a 7% CAGR.
Within Nigeria, this trend plays out in a highly dynamic landscape.
Veteran and boutique event planners alike are organizing everything from investor conferences, product launches, and board retreats to annual general meetings and awards shows.
The scale of the business, combined with its complexity in managing logistics, stakeholder engagement, crisis risks, and guest experience, places top event planners at the centre of corporate brand strategy.
As the market deepens and client demands evolve, a handful of firms are emerging as the most powerful players.
In no particular order, these are some of the planners who are not only executing grand-scale events but also reshaping what premium corporate gatherings look like in Nigeria.
Company: CEO Zapphaire Events
For more than two decades, Funke Bucknor-Obruthe has helped shape Nigeria’s contemporary events industry, building one of the sector’s most influential brands through her company, Zapphaire Events. Founded in 2002, the Lagos-based firm has delivered over 1,000 events across Nigeria, Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States, establishing itself as a benchmark for both intimate and large-scale productions.
The company’s client portfolio spans major corporate and governmental institutions, including Standard Chartered, UBA Bank, CNN, Shell, Schlumberger, Stanbic IBTC, the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and the Osun State Government. Bucknor-Obruthe’s work has also attracted global attention, notably a feature on CNN’s Inside Africa for her role in producing a Nigerian royal wedding.
Before transitioning into event management, she obtained a Law degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2000. She briefly worked in advertising before pursuing her passion full-time. In addition to leading Zapphaire Events, she serves as Executive Director at Decor by Furtullah. Today, she remains one of the most recognized and influential figures in Nigeria’s events ecosystem.
