The federal government has announced that it would not succumb to threats or blackmail from any quarters in its determination to sanitise the advertising industry.
The statement, which also responded to the notice of legal action issued against ARCON by the Advertising Association of Nigeria , asserted that its actions were aimed at improving the Nigerian advertising industry and protecting the interests of stakeholders. The body clarified that its role is to establish minimum acceptable industry standards for advertising, advertisements, and marketing communications. According to it, these standards serve only as a framework to guide transactions involving stakeholders. The council emphasised that regulatory agencies in various industries establish standards to ensure fair practices.
The statement also reflected on local content policy and the ban on foreign models, which ADVAN frowned at and reemphasised its position. The regulatory body stated that its local content policy would enable Nigeria and Nigerians to benefit from advertising. The policy, it noted, would require a minimum local content percentage in all advertisements, encouraging organisations to use Nigerians as a critical element in their advertisements.