The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria(APCON) has moved to curtail the activities of unlicenced advertising practitioners in the country, especially in the outdoor advertising segment.
Reports indicate that the professional body has reached out to the lagos state government and the Military as there several illegal billboards in the barracks.
Cantonements and Police barracks are been checked for illegal billboards. The military establishments have demanded a month notice for those who own advertising boardings within the barracks to secure all the necessary documentations from their sectoral body (which is the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria, OAAN.
The Lagos State Advertising and Signage Agency(LASAA) is also making moves to regulate the industry. Although LASAA does not regulate Out of Home(OOH) advertising in barracks, some people are misusing the opportunity to erect illegal signboards.
But this could not have happened without the connivance of Media Independent Practitioners of Nigeria, MIPAN member-organisations’ support hence the APCON decision to write the body. MIPAN, therefore, has been cautioned to desist from patronising unlicensed organisations as well as non-practitioners.
The letter titled-Practice of Non Licensed Persons and Companies signed by the APCON RegistrarChief Executive Officer , Alhaji. Garba Bello Kankarofi, with reference number (CLD/03/Vol.1/080/2016 dated October 12, 2016 was sent to the MIPAN President, Dr. Ken Onyeali-Ikpe.
The letter read in part: “We wish to bring to your attention the practice by some of your member-companies who engage the services of non-registered/licensed persons and organisations and the purchase of advertising media space/airtime from such unregistered/unlicensed persons and organisations.”
APCON reminded MIPAN of its responsibility as a key stakeholder in promoting growth within the Nigeria’s integrated marketing communications industry by supporting true and registered practitioners and organisation. As you are aware, the letter stated, “It is a violation of Nigeria advertising law and regulation for persons not registered as advertising practitioners and organisations not licensed as advertising firms to practice advertising for gain and undertake the business of advertising.”
Kankarofi further said that while the Council is doing its best to stem the nefarious activities of and/or sanction these unlicensed organisations as well as non-practitioners, MIPAN member-organisations should hence stop patronising them.
“While we are doing our best to identify and sanction persons/organisations that practice/undertake the business of advertising illegally, we wish to request your cooperation by impressing it on your member-organisations to desist from dealing with non-practitioners/unlicensed organisations in their media purchase transaction,” Kankarofi warned Onyeali-Ikpe.
