APCON council: The endless wait on Buhari by Nigeria’s advertising industry
The more the Nigeria’s advertising industry waits on Muhammadu Buhari for the re-constitution of the board of the Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria, APCON, the more the industry suffers. Today, some of the industry practitioners are not showing enough zeal on re-licencing order, which could have been informed by the absence of the council.
The industry has waited in vain for over three years for the re-constitution of the board so that the council can function maximally to the advantage of the industry. All the entreaties and visits to Aso Rock for this purpose have not yielded results.
Regulation of the about N200 billion industry is weak without a council of the apex advertising regulatory body. But perhaps, the industry’s neglect by government may have been informed by the industry not showing and demonstrating enough of its importance to the economy.
In December, 2017 the present government announced names of politicians and non-advertising professionals as members of the council, in contrast to APCON law. The government has since reversed itself after much pressure from the industry that the appointment was illegal.
It will be recalled that in 2014, the government under former President Goodluck Jonathan similarly appointed a non-advertiser as APCON Chairman. There was uproar in the industry, and Jonathan reversed the decision, replacing the rejected council with another one headed by Udeme Ufot, the group CEO of SO&U.
But in July 2015, Buhari government dissolved APCON council alongside parastatals’ boards. Since then, the APCON council has not been re-constituted which has been delaying the effective functioning of the apex advertising body.
Delay in appointing a board or flouting of APCON rule by the government especially on the appointment of non-advertising practitioners in to the council may continue as APCON continues to collect yearly subvention from the government who sees the organisation as a political entity.
Wrestling APCON from government
Some stakeholders are however favourable disposed to wrestling the advertising regulatory body from government as other similar bodies are run without government intervention and subvention.
Tunde Adedoyin, the President of Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, OAAN who supports an independent apex body said the law establishing APCON has to be amended to achieve this for APCON. He however remarked that getting the National Assembly now to amend the law will take a long process. According to him, National Assembly may not consider it urgent in view of other national priorities “unless someone inside is pushing it”
Another top stakeholder in the advertising industry, Akinbobola Babu would like to see another independent body aside APCON to be established for the interest of the advertising community. “Various sectorial groups should come together to protect the business”
Biodun Shobanjo, chairman of Troyka Group has always believed that government has no understanding of what APCON represents. His view is informed by delay in constituting APCON council, and when government attempts to constitute the council, it flouts the law.
Sharing the same view, Lanre Adisa, CEO of Noah’s Ark has also expressed his concerns not only for advertising industry but more for the country over non-council for APCON for over three years.
Steve Omojafor, former Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, who assessed the development in a report echoed other stakeholders believe that as long as APCON collects yearly subvention from the government, it shall continue to remain a lackey on government political chess board.
The industry should take learning from constant disregard to APCON law by the government and prepare the industry for future occurrence. The recent establishment of Nigerian chapter of International Advertising Association, IAA which has membership of all players in the advertising and marketing community could be a platform to address how to wrestle APCON from government to make the industry more formidable.
Daniel Obi