ADVAN 2022: Again, stakeholders push for effective, functional regulation

Issues surrounding regulatory framework in Nigeria,  have always been knotty and contentious. Not a few Nigerians, especially business owners, have attributed the slow pace of growth in the nation’s economy to a regulatory environment, they believe, has not helped the cause of businesses in the country. While business operators say they are never averse to the idea of their businesses being regulated, such regulations, they insist, should be done in sync with global practice.

But,  the nation’s regulatory authorities, are quick to say they are in the business of regulation to enable them stimulate business growth. They insist their brand of regulation is to make businesses effective and not to further expand the vast tombstones of businesses in Nigeria, as being insinuated in some quarters.

Interestingly, the nation’s integrated marketing communications industry is not immune to these regulatory conversations and controversies. The industry, in recent times, has continued to witness accusations and counter-accusations from operators and regulatory bodies on the issue.

For instance, not too long ago, the Heads of Sectoral Group in the industry, organised a media briefing to sensitise the public to the plights of members of one of the industry’s sectoral groups,  Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), operating in Kaduna. They claimed the regulatory duties of the Kaduna State Urban Planning  Development Authority (KASUPDA), which had seen to the removal of all billboards belonging to OAAN members, had begun to take its toll on the sector.

The same sectoral body has been having a running battle with the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), too, in Lagos, too.

The recently-held industry dialogue, organised by the Advertisers Association of Nigeria, (ADVAN), in Lagos, therefore, provided another opportunity for stakeholders, comprising of practitioners and regulators in the industry to argue out the suitability or otherwise of the nation’s regulatory environment.

Speaking on ‘The Role of Government Regulations in The Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria’, the Keynote Speaker, and Special Adviser  to the President on Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria,  Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, called for collaboration between operators and regulators in the sector. According to her, the federal government’s collaboration with the private sector had enabled it understand the challenges being faced by the sector, and also create a constant flow of ideas for pragmatic interventions.

Oduwole stated that the additional operational costs incurred by  the nation’s MSMEs, besides the formal taxes and levies, have continued to impact negatively on their bottom-line, thereby hindering  their ability to plough back such revenue to other productive ventures.

She explained that the decision by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) to commission a pilot study around the formal and informal regulatory cost of compliance for MSMEs in Lagos and the FCT, in 2019, was with a view to identifying and targeting successful reforms towards boosting the productivity of these businesses, thereby fostering the creation of jobs for millions of Nigerians and an increased GDP.

According to her, empirical evidence from the pilot survey confirmed earlier anecdotal feedback by showing that 51% of MSMEs paid 12 unofficial fees for regulatory services.

Oduwole, who argued that the advertising industry in Nigeria is regulated by a combination of federal laws, state and possibly local government laws, with other subsidiary legislations, however expressed concerns that practitioners are still faced with challenges that have continued to hinder the growth of their businesses.

She however expressed the hope that the ADVAN forum would provide the opportunity for the stakeholders to  smoothen some of the existing  rough edges.

Speaking on behalf of the advertisers, an Executive Council Member of ADVAN and Group Head Brands and Corporate Communications, BUA Group, Mr. O’Tega Ogra expressed the readiness of the nation’s advertisers to have their business activities regulated, as long as such regulations will facilitate those businesses.

“No Advertiser is against regulation, but such regulation should facilitate business. Besides,  regulators should give the opportunity for decent equitable partnerships with stakeholders,” he stated.

On his part, Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, explained that the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP) is designed to promote equity and fairness in the nation’s advertising business.

“AISOP is a means not an end which is supposed to promote equity and fairness in the business of advertising. So many things have been said and we are really looking into them,” he added.

In her contribution, another panelist and Deputy Director at NAFDAC,  Mrs. Dozie-Nwapa stated that agencies regulatory policies are designed to ensure that the advertisement messages are in conformity with the actual features of the products.

The ADVAN President, Mr. Osamede Uwubanmwen,  in his remarks, explained that the dialogue was not about APCON’s recently promulgated AISOP document, but meant  to find a common ground for members of ADVAN to operate in an harmonious way.