Advertising Regulation: APCON Takes Step to Deepen Operational Standard

The Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON), has tasked leaders of sectoral bodies in the marketing communications industry to brace up and cooperate with various regulatory committees of the council to strengthen operational standards in the country’s advertising landscape.

The Registrar of APCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, who made the appeal during the inauguration of three committees in Lagos, charged members of the committees to develop appropriate strategies as well as deploy “out of the box” ideas/frameworks that will ensure that the Council fundamentally improves its regulatory mandates and service delivery.

The Committees inaugurated were: The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), The Advertising Code Review Committee, and The Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISoP) Committee.

“I am convinced that the teams we have selected here today will approach this assignment with all sense of responsibility and commitment, and serve as enablers for the achievement of the Council’s success.

“I therefore charge all heads of the Committees to ensure that they leave no stone unturned in carrying out their respective assignments,” Olalekan said.

The APCON boss explained that in executing the assignment, the Committees were expected to deliver well on their various tasks and within scheduled time as according to him, time was of the essence.

He emphasised that the task before the Committees included: identifying peculiar sectoral challenges, suggest immediate and long term implementation policies, recommend action plans that will galvanise the industry and that will improve service delivery and benefit stakeholders.

The Code Review Committee and AISoP were expected to conclude their tasks within three months. He called on the entire industry to put all hands on deck to work together to make the industry an enviable entity.

As part of the new strategic moves to deepen advertising practice and realign operations, the council announced Mrs. Omowunmi Owodunni, as the new Chairperson of the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) - the Statutory Panel charged with the duty of ensuring that advertisements conform to the prevailing

laws of the federation as well as the Code of advertising ethics of the advertising profession.

Owodunni is the first female to head the apex regulatory body’s statutory committee.

She succeeded Mr. Charles Abraham who has been Chairman since 2015 and whose tenure witnessed remarkable achievements/developmental strides.

Speaking on the appointment, the Registrar said the approval was a mark of confidence on the council by the government and at the same time it demonstrated the Council’s obligation to change the course of history.

“We are delighted to vary and to be change makers. Women participation and leadership in the industry must be promoted and fostered so as to bring new perspectives to achieve further progress.