Brand journalists urge FG to reconstitute APCON council without further delay

The Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN), an umbrella body of journalists covering brands and integrated marketing communications in Nigeria has urged the Federal Government to make it its top priority in re-constituting the board of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) without further delay in order to save the advertising industry from imminent collapse.

In a statement signed by the President of BJAN, Mr. Goddie Ofose, the association decried the dissolution of the Council for almost two years, as the non-existence of APCON council has been crippling activities in the industry, leaving it with little or no rule enforcement.

According to BJAN, as the council has not been in place, the IMC industry and several other businesses have actually suffered over exposure.

The body noted that while it is pertinent to note that though there was a sub-committee put in place by APCON set up to make recommendation for the online monitoring and regulations, the committee has remained redundant because it lacks power to go after anyone online to vet his or her adverts.

“As it is right now, both APCON and FG are losing money because nobody brings an online advert to APCON for vetting; APCON sub-committee lacks the power to go to any online to vet their adverts, because there is no council.

“And when the council is not there, business, our industry actually suffers over exposure.”

BJAN noted that the absence of APCON council has unfortunately been aiding the influx of foreign agencies into the country unregulated as such action is not healthy for the industry.

It would be recalled that in July, 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari had dissolved the APCON council along other boards of agencies, commissions, and parastatals.

Prior to the dissolution, Udeme Ufot, SO&U Group Managing Director had headed the APCON Council which was inaugurated on March 26, 2015, thus making history as the most short-lived having spent only four months in office.