ARCON accuses ADVAN of media offensive to stall reforms

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has launched a strong rebuttal against the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), accusing the advertisers’ body of mounting a calculated media campaign to frustrate sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s advertising industry.

In a statement dated February 23 and signed by its Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON described ADVAN’s recent open letter to President Bola Tinubu as a deliberate attempt to derail regulatory changes linked to the federal government’s Nigeria First Policy and new payment guidelines within the sector.

The regulator said it rejected “every major claim” contained in the letter, including allegations that its policies have triggered a decline in advertising spend, driven investors out of the country, and imposed excessive regulation on operators.

ARCON noted that ADVAN has filed multiple suits at the Federal High Court challenging its statutory authority, while simultaneously prosecuting the same issues in the media.

“If a case is sub judice, why take it to the media?” the Council queried, arguing that ADVAN’s conduct reflects a broader strategy of applying public pressure instead of engaging through established regulatory channels.

A key contention in ADVAN’s letter was the assertion that its members account for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s advertising spend, which the association estimated at more than N800 billion annually. The claim was used to justify its appeal for presidential intervention.

ARCON dismissed the figure as “an outright fabrication.”

“ADVAN members do not contribute 90% of the Nigerian advertising industry spend nor do they conduct business worth N800 billion as claimed.

ADVAN members contribute less than 10% of the advertising industry spend and its membership has declined in recent times due to poor leadership,” the statement said.

In a pointed remark, the regulator referenced ADVAN President, Mr. Osamede Uwubanmwen, asserting that his employer “cannot boast of ₦1 million in annual advertising spend.” ARCON challenged the association to make public its current membership list and provide verifiable data on members’ advertising outlays.

ADVAN had also alleged that ARCON’s reform measures were responsible for shrinking advertising investments and prompting companies to exit Nigeria. ARCON countered by demanding concrete evidence.

“ADVAN is challenged to provide verified data on the alleged decline in advertising spend as well as publish the names of organisations that have exited Nigeria because of the industry reforms,” the statement said.

According to ARCON, available industry data contradicts ADVAN’s narrative. The Council disclosed that it worked with the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Group to commission PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to carry out an independent assessment of advertising industry expenditure and its contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product.

The PwC report, ARCON stated, indicated growth rather than contraction and was publicly presented to stakeholders. The regulator challenged ADVAN to either refute the findings with credible data or commission its own independent review and publish the results.

Another contentious issue is a performance assessment reportedly conducted by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), which rated ARCON at three per cent.

ARCON rejected the score outright, describing it as biased and alleging that it formed part of a coordinated effort to undermine its regulatory mandate.

“ARCON does not and cannot score 3% in performance as stated by PEBEC and publicised by ADVAN,” the Council said, adding that its official performance records are domiciled with the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

The regulator further alleged that ADVAN sought to leverage its relationship with PEBEC to discredit ARCON’s oversight functions and weaken its reform agenda.

ARCON also expressed disappointment with ADVAN’s Board of Trustees, led by Aare Fatai Odeshile, for endorsing the open letter. It described it as “rather unfortunate” that a body it characterised as a council of elders would support what it called misleading claims without first engaging the regulator or its supervising ministry.

“The publication, which is misleading and deceptive, reflects poorly on the entire leadership of ADVAN,” the statement said.

At the core of the dispute are reforms ARCON insists are designed to sanitise the industry, protect Nigerian creative talent, guarantee prompt payment to media owners and agencies, resolve chronic debt disputes, and align advertising practice with the administration’s Nigeria First Policy and Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Council stressed that more than 10 other associations and stakeholder groups operate within Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem and that none has adopted what it described as ADVAN’s confrontational approach.

Framing the disagreement as a defining moment for the sector, ARCON declared that it would not retreat.

“The era of lawless advertising with impunity is over,” the statement concluded. “ARCON will resist all attempts and blackmail by ADVAN or any other group(s) to halt the ongoing advertising industry reforms. ARCON will remain focused and resolute in promoting the Nigerian First Policy.”