The Director General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, has reiterated the need for the new act for effective administration and regulation of the advertising industry in Nigeria.
Freelanews recalls that since the name change from Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON, and introduction of new laws, the advertising industry practitioners and stakeholders have been seeking for the practical interpretations and clarifications.
According to DG, while addressing journalists during an interactive session with the media held at the L’eola Hotel, Lagos, the new regulations became necessary in repositioning the advertising industry for growth.
While confirming that the law setting up ARCON has been gazetted, Dr. Fadolapo assured that copies of the gazetted law would be sent to the stakeholders.
“The enrollment has been done and they (national assembly) have sent the copies of the gazetted laws to us. Even if the copies are yet to be sent to you, it doesn’t stop the fact that the president has signed the bill into law,” he said.
On the essence of the name change from APCON to ARCON, the DG revealed that it was meant to correct some defects suffered by APCON, especially in a digital age.
“APCON suffered deficit in the area of representing the generality of what advertising is all about; the name denoted that the laws only related to practitioners. Whereas, APCON was supposed to be the regulatory body for the practice and business of advertising.
“The second reason was that the law was promulgated in 1988. And between then and now, so many things have changed. Like I explained earlier, in the marketing communication space, people have left advertising as a practice but advertising in itself has unbundled into several skills. So with the old law, we may not really be able to put our fingers down and do the right thing that is expected of us.
“This is a new law that covers a bigger remit and gives us additional powers which cover digital and online media, which were not in existence then,” he explained.
While speaking with Freelanews, Dr. Fadolapo explained that the new laws are made for the business of advertising, advertisement and marketing communication.
“Where there are concerns when they’re raised, we would explain the reasons they’re like that. The national assembly doesn’t work with the mindset of establishing a law only for the interests of the agencies but for the generality of industry’s stakeholders.
“Infact, in terms of violation and practice, the sanction is more on the agencies than the advertiser because the former are the core practitioners,” he said.
The DG, thereafter, took the members of the press through the remit of the new law and application of the act among other things.
@freelanews ARCON DG, Dr. Fadolapo, during the media briefing on the agency’s regulation regarding advertising in Nigeria #goviral #fyp #trending ♬ original sound – OtunbaVictor1
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
