Stop Deceptive, Misleading, Unwholesome Advertising, Admen Told

The Minister of Communication and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has warned advertisers and advertising agencies to refrain from deceptive, misleading and other forms of unwholesome communication no matter how tempting and profitable it may appear.

The minister made the call at the 2016 international summit on advertising organized by Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria in conjunction with BSP media international, a market and industry intelligence firm,.

According to him, at a time developed economies of the world are taking definite and sustained measures to advance the frontiers of consumer protection, Nigeria and other emerging economies should not be seen to condone or encourage spurious communication that is capable of harming our citizens, socially, emotionally or economically.

While the minister expect the summit to adopt a position and a template for a more responsible marketing communication in Nigeria, he said this approach will effectively balances the interests of all stakeholders- advertisers, practitioners, media owners, consumers and the larger public.

Mohammed, who said that his ministry will be waiting to receive the outcome of the summit believe that such outcome will inspire policies that will be of benefit to Nigeria.

“I assure you that the federal government will partner stakeholders to secure implement of the summit outcomes.”

On the enabling laws to empower APCON, Enyinna Abaribe, Senate Committee chairman on Information and National Orientation said that the amendment of the enabling law establishing Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON is receiving considerations at the National Assembly.

As it was trying to settle down, the APCON council led by Udeme Ufot, the managing director of SO & U was dissolved five months after it was constituted on March 26 last year. Prior to Udeme appointment APCON operated without a proper council for about 18 months. APCON council was part of dissolution of government parastatals in July last year.

The two-day summit attended by advertisers, content publishers, media owners, telecom operators and industry regulators addressed various contemporary issues pertinent to the development of advertising in Nigeria especially in the face of technology.

Also speaking, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, represented by Peter Adama in the ministry promised that the digital migration extended date to June 17, 2017  is irreversible.

According to him, the government is on course of meeting the date and encouraged advertisers to assist government in creating awareness about the migration which took UK about 6 years to switch over from analogue to digital.

The Minister said it is imperative for Africa to utilize the platform provided by digitalization to leapfrog into the future of technology.

In his speech, the CEO of APCON, Bello Kankarofi said the summit is holding in the background of the transformation of the global advertising industry brought about by rapid changes in technology and consumer behavior as well as various dynamics in the global and local economies.