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The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, (ARCON) is beginning a clampdown on unapproved advertisements exposed in the traditional or online media with characters in the advert in military, police, or paramilitary uniforms.
Lekan Fadolapo, director-general of ARCON, said this recently in Lagos at the engagement and education of operators in the digital space on the importance of vetting adverts before publication.
According to him, “military, police, or NYSC uniforms will not be allowed to be used for advertisement purposes. “For us to use them there must be approval by the paramilitary, military involved.”
Fadolapo warned that if any advert violates these guidelines, ARCON and the respective law enforcement organ will go after the agency or media house.
“It is basically to sanitise the advertising space as all manner of advertisements including indecent, nude, untruthful and unethical adverts are exposed to Nigerian audience, it is not also an attempt by the Federal Government to regulate freedom of speech in social media.
“We are not regulating comedy nor Online space. What we are saying is that if any online platform is involved in the advertising space, those advertising activities will be regulated. Whatever advertising you are exposing on your platform, whether self-created or third-party creation must have Advertising Standard Panel approval,” he stressed.
The director general of the advertising regulatory body said henceforth, ARCON will impose the law on any advertisement in the online space that is not vetted before exposure.
He, however, said obituary and vacancy advertisements are exempted but where they are not truthful, ARCON will go after them.
Also speaking at the forum, Charles Odenigbo, a legal practitioner, recommends that all materials should be endorsed by a registered advertising practitioner before vetting and subsequent exposure or publication.
He said the laws and regulations of advertising require practitioners and media to be diligent in ensuring compliance at all times as ignorance of the law is no excuse.
The ARCON Act 2022 empowers the council to regulate and control advertising, advertisement and marketing communication in all its aspects and ramifications directed at or exposed to the Nigerian market. It is also to prevent and eliminate harmful and offensive advertisements from being exposed to or directed at the Nigerian market.
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