APCON now ARCON bans use of foreign models, VOA advertisement
ORU Leonard
The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has declared openly the successful signing into law the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Bill into law, changing its acronym from APCON to ARCON and banning the use of foreign models and Voice-Over Artists (VOA), on the Nigerian advertising Media.
The Director General of ARCON, Dr Lekan Fadolapo stated this at the media briefing held today in Lagos.
Fadolapo explained that the new ARCON Act puts the regulatory body in good stead to better carry out its statutory regulatory duties since it takes care of noticeable gaps in the former APCON Act.
He explained that the control of the new media and online advertisement was not properly taken care of in the old APCON Act.
According to “ongoing campaigns are permitted to run out their terms, however subsequent applications for revalidation for continued exposure of such materials will not be granted by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP).
“The ban was in line with the Federal Government’s policy of developing local content, inclusive economic growth and the need to take necessary steps and actions aimed at growing the Nigerian advertising industry.”
The DG said that the ban, which will take effect from October 1st, 2022, is in tandem with ARCON’s Act No.23 of 2022.
“The Act makes ARCON the apex advertising, advertisement and marketing communications regulatory agency with statutory mandates, responsibilities and powers.”
“All advertising, advertisements and marketing communications materials are to make use of only Nigerian models and voice-over artists.
“Ongoing campaigns are permitted to run out their terms. However, subsequent applications for revalidation for continued exposures of such materials will not be granted by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP)”, he added.
