Stories by Akin Adewakun
| Lagos
THE May 29 date is hugely significant in Nigeria. For many Nigerians, it is generally seen as a date set aside to celebrate their liberation from the jackboots of the military; since it was that date, in 1999, that the military regime hesitantly handed over power to a democratically-elected government; a date that should, therefore, rekindle hope.
Interestingly, a few days ago, the incumbent government at the centre, the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration celebrated the second year of its second term in office.
But while practitioners in the nation’s advertising sector, also joined in the ‘celebration dance’, it was, however, not without mixed feelings. Not a few of these practitioners believe that despite the optimism that heralded the coming of the incumbent government, it is not yet uhuru for the nation’s integrated marketing communication space.
One of the issues that still stand out like a sore thumb, they argue, is the refusal of the Buhari administration to give the apex regulatory body of the industry, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), a governing council.
APCON has been without a board since the Udeme Ufot-led council was dissolved in July 2015.
For many of these practitioners, this development has continued to hold back growth in this multi-billion naira industry.
“For instance, when last did you hear of APCON conferring a fellowship award to any practitioner in the industry? Unfortunately, what it simply means is that if we’ve not had new fellows in the past six years, the industry is not growing,” argued a practitioner, who would not want his name in print.
Besides, the practitioner stated, the refusal by the Information Minister to heed the call of practitioners in this regard, bears eloquent testimony to the level of disdain the industry is held by its supervising ministry.
“Advertising needs robust policies, firm supervision and regulation to thrive. Unfortunately, there is no way the industry can have that now, with its apex regulatory agency without a council,” he added.
The outdoor advertising sector has not fared better, either. For instance, for the past few years, practitioners in the sector, have been at daggers drawn with the different agencies of the state in charge of outdoor ad regulations.
One of such grouses is the huge cost they have to pay to the state government on their billboards, including the vacant ones.
“These are some of the reasons outdoor advertising is getting more expensive, a situation that has forced many of our clients to start exploring other channels of exposing their contents. Unfortunately, this may sound the death knell of the practice, if this is not addressed,” an outdoor practitioner, who also craved anonymity, stated.
Another drawback the industry has continued to experience in the past few years is the recurring debt issue, among agencies, clients and even the media. For instance, a few years ago, the then Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was ‘welcomed’ to the exalted office by a protest letter from outdoor practitioners, intimating him of a huge debt, running into billions of naira being owed by the state, through the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA). The debt, they argued, was for political campaigns, run for the ruling party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, in the build-up to 2015 elections. Till date, the issue still lingers, a development that has made some of these practitioners close shops.
But the Chief Executive Officer/Lead Consultant, Ladybird Communications, Mrs. Bunmi Oke, believes it is not all gloom, as far as the industry is concerned. For instance, she is of the belief that the COVID 19 pandemic has succeeded in restructuring the industry.
“For me, COVID 19 has birthed the repositioning of the industry. For instance, technology has made a lot of meetings and activities possible without having to have a large gathering, therefore, advertising practitioners are being left with no choice but to adjust,” she stated.
The former president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) also believes the public health crisis has also forced the nation’s hitherto highly conservative public service to be active online.
She, however, expressed regrets that the advertising sector is still faced with the challenge of prompt online service delivery.
“It is still very slow, because the fundamentals, such as infrastructure deficit and a lot of other factors still affect our performance,” the former AAAN boss added.
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