Heads of Advertising Sectoral Group has reacted to a statement credited to Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed that brands running adverts on CNN, other foreign-owned stations will be sanctioned and pay a fine of N100,000 each time such adverts run.
The group made up of Advertising Association of Nigeria (AAAN), Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Media Independents Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN) noted that the statement by the Minister during discussions on an NTA programme “Goodmorning Nigeria” is at variance with international best practices, insisting that the world has become a global village.
According to the statement “First the Minister should understand that advertisers put their advertising investment where the eyeballs of Nigerians are. The media decisions are driven by the consumers’ interest, passion, inspiration and aspirations. CNN and other international news channels are watched by Nigerians locally, the world is now a global village and Nigerians do not only live within our physical boundaries.Nigeria-based news channels and contents developed locally are also consumed across many countries beyond our borders, with no special fines and levies imposed on companies who place adverts within them.
“While there are some merits in the bid to encourage and support local production of contents in a bid to support the local industries, the Minister must understand that these has to be allowed to develop organically. Also, many leading advertisers are multinational companies who rationallyseek to explore economies of scale in the production of materials, negotiation costs and broadcast of their contents which run across many countries.Even when this said empirical information and trended data shows clearly that investment on local broadcast stations still outweighs that of foreign channels.
The Group then went on to state that there are many areas that the government can support the industry to grow, this includes “Funding int he areas of technical infrastructure, content development grants, and investment in tools of measurement of advertising effectiveness and efficiency etc. With the right support the marketing communication industry, content development, local media investment and media infrastructural development will grow. and improve organically”
It also affirmed that the Nigerian music and entertainment industry as well as the movie industry did not emerge and become global by forced legislative fiat, but via organic growth and creativity of the practitioners.
It stated further ” Production and content development capabilities are improving daily as technology and funding improves, these are the areas of support required for the local players and production industry to emerge and lead the world.
HSAG also enjoined the Minister these key industry players and practitioners more and explore collaboration on issues like this before making these pronouncement that is capable of impacting the industry. It also noted that the Group should be engaged and consulted in matters relating to the industry, while affirming that it will be available to support the Ministry and it regulator, APCON in moving the industry forward.
The statement signed by Mr Steve Babaeko (President, AAAN), Mr Tade Adekunle, Mrs Bunmi Adeniba, (President, ADVAN), Mr Femi Adelusi, (President, MIPAN), Mr Emmanuel Ajufo, (President, OAAN) and Hajia Sa’Am Ibrahim, (Chairman, BON) also strongly appeals to the Ministry and the National Assembly to engage professionals in the marketing communications industry in conversations on policies at the point of ideation, formulation and development, stating ” This is the best pathway to a progressive and implementable legislation of policies and initiatives that will improve the well-being of the industry and Nigerians”
