Lolu’s footprints in APCON
Lolu Akinwunmi, CEO of Prima Garnet, was the immediate past chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). Lolu, who served as chief executive officer of the Federal Government rebranding project, was able to play his part in ensuring that the advertising sector operates professionally, as DANIEL OBI examines his roles and achievements as a new APCON Council takes over from where he stopped.
As chairman of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) between 2007 and 2010, Chris Doghudje identified media debt as a virus capable of destroying the virile media industry. He tackled it by holding discussions which led to the establishment of APCON Special Committee on Media Debt Issues (ASCOMDI). This was an effort to sanitise the industry.
When Lolu Akinwunmi stepped in (2010 -2013) after Doghudje, he continued with the sanitisation. This time, Lolu’s objective was to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s advertising practice and ensure that regulations were reviewed in line with local interests and global standards. Three months after he became the chairman, he inaugurated a committee for this task; another great effort at lifting the industry.
APCON reform
The committee, headed by late Willy Nnorom, reviewed the conditions for entry into the advertising profession as they affected Nigerian and foreign practitioners.
The committee also considered the need to ensure that local and foreign practitioners were properly registered and certified by APCON before being allowed to practice in any advertising-related agency or company in Nigeria in line with the practice in other recognised professions like Law, medicine, Architecture.
It also considered regulations that ensured that APCON-registered Nigerian professionals were given the first option of consideration in employment, during film shoots and radio productions as well as institute appropriate sanctions with the support of sectoral bodies to stop all parties from reneging on especially financial commitments to the detriment of other parties.
In the reform, APCON categorised the ownership and shareholding structure of agencies by classifying them as either national or foreign agencies. “Any agency with shareholding of 74.9 percent and up to 100 percent by Nigerians qualify as a national agency while 25.1 percent and above (up to 100 percent) by foreigners qualify an agency as a foreign agency. Foreign agency shall practice advertising business targeted at a market outside the shores of Nigeria.”
Some aspects of the reform, especially the areas that put hurdles on the path of foreign participation in the sector attracted criticism but Lolu stood his ground, insisting that the purpose of the reform was not to disenfranchise foreign agencies but to “ensure that adequate and proper regulations are in place to ensure that this sector operates professionally.”
Lolu practically faced government agencies and the National Assembly to defend the reform.
“From when we started, foreign interests that did not want it attacked us ferociously. At some point, I was reported to the National Assembly that I was using my position in APCON to stop certain foreign interests from operating in Nigeria. I had to appear at the Senate to clear this.
“Then they reported me to Labaran Maku, the then minister of information, who investigated the allegation and found it to be untrue. Then they went to the Nigerian Investment Promotions Commission that I was stopping foreign investors from coming into Nigeria. We showed the Commission proof that this was also not true. Then they went to the Corporate Affairs Commission with the same lie and we dispelled it. Finally they reached the Villa and the matter was directed to the honourable minister again.”
Dismissing insinuations that APCON was against foreigners, the then APCON chairman said in a report that the decision was taken in line with global best business practice and not to witch-hunt foreign practitioners and agencies. “Foreign practitioners shall be welcome to practice the profession in Nigeria in as much as appropriate professional certificate and licenses are obtained from APCON,” he said.
Industry support
Though few stakeholders have come against the reform, advertising sectoral groups have, however, lent their support to the reform.
“I received uncommon support from the AAAN, ADVAN, OAAN, MIPAN and the other sectorial groups. It was overwhelming because they all knew that what was at stake was the soul and the future of the Nigerian advertising profession. But for their support, concluding the assignment would have been very challenging indeed,” Lolu said.
He also said that in many countries no foreign advertising practitioner will practice or even book or fly an advertisement except they are properly certified and registered as practitioners.
“In Brazil for example, no foreign producer can work without first obtaining official permission from a body similar to APCON. In addition, such producers will have to use the services of local professionals and models; exceptions are made only when such talents are not available within the country.”
Other achievements
During his three-year tenure, Lolu followed through one of the mandates of the Council which is to regulate and approve the various syllabuses and standards for the practice within higher institutions, which award diplomas and degrees. “We accredited several institutions of higher learning including the Pan African University/Lagos Business School,” he explained.
In addition to various stakeholders’ seminars/workshops and several executive programmes he organised, Lolu embarked on membership drive. “We added over 1,000 new members through students’ registration, over 1,000 associate members, over 100 upgrades from associate to full membership and several Fellowship Awards. We also worked with the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria on streamlining membership registration and signed a memorandum of association to seal this” Lolu added.
He said during his tenure, vetting application rose by over 70 percent, and compliance level by over 75 percent. “I am happy to report that even the various political parties send their materials in for vetting. While we still experienced some leakages, the awareness is higher, and compliance is more regular,” he said.
“During the period, Lolu explained further, “we commenced discussions with NAFDAC for a collaborative relationship, which was to ensure that all trado-medical advertising materials were simultaneously vetted by the three bodies.
“There was also joint collaboration between APCON and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) on effective regulation of spurious Sales Promotion. There was also partnership Agreement with International Centre for Alcoholic Policy (ICAP), Washington, USA on alcohol beverage marketing communications control.”
Under his tenure, APCON also continued to actively interact with the office of the Minister of Information, offering the support of Council for government policies and activities. “On our own initiative, our members in AAAN, developed messages that supported some key government policies,” he said.
Having served the Council in the last three years, Lolu has left indelible footprints and achievements in APCON and Nigeria’s advertising practice. The new council is therefore expected to therefore carry on ensuring that the practice attains global standard.