The Advertising Practitioners Council Of Nigeria (APCON), on Wednesday, January 19th, 2022, inducted 63 Fellows at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Lagos.
The
event was well attended by the doyens of advertising across the country. This
is coming after 10 years of not inducting new fellows for advertising
practitioners in Nigeria. APCON registrar, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, said the
10-year wait was due to the absence of a governing council which was dissolved
as well as a substantive Registrar
He
restated the commitment of the council to providing conducive business and
professional grounds to make sure that the practice and business of advertising
in Nigeria is conducted in an ethical manner without compromising best
practices.
He
said: “It is also my pleasure to heartily congratulate the advertising
practitioners that would today be inducted into the fellowship cadre of the
advertising profession having satisfactorily met the required criteria
stipulated by law and consequently attaining the highest and distinguished
class in the profession.
“This
is a delightful moment for APCON and the advertising industry particularly
being that the last fellows’ induction was held over 10 years ago. In the
course of my two-and-a-half decades in this industry, I have known each of the
inductees personally and I have worked with virtually every one of them in
different capacities, therefore, I can attest that none of the fellows inducted
today lacked the professional aptitude to be designated as such.” Fadolapo
added that the regulations of the council have been reformed.
“To
further this idea, we have introduced some reforms to complement the prevailing
regulations, proclamations, and other subsidiary instruments established and
adopted as legal frameworks for the industry.
“Recently,
the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP) was established to
provide a minimum standard for business engagement in the industry to improve
mutual respect, eradicate unfair advantage, unethical competition and
inequitable engagement terms between stakeholders in the Advertising and
Marketing Communication sector of the economy. The highlights of the AISOP are Media Rates Deregulation: No sector of the Industry should be allowed cap or
determine what media houses should charge as media advert rates. However, media
houses must give at least 30 days’ notice before the implementation of a new media
rate. It is also provided that advertisers and agencies must accord Nigeria
media houses the same mutual respect they accord foreign media operating in
Nigeria and all stakeholders will have to align with best practices.
“
Credit Policy: In line with best practices, payment for media and other
advertisement services would be done within 45 days. Any payment after 45 days
will attract interest at the prevailing CBN interest rate. Advertisers and
agencies would have to honour advertising and marketing communications invoices
promptly and parties to a business transaction must be transparent in their
dealings.
“Agency
Engagement Process: Pitch procedure has become professionalized as parties in
pitch process must respect Nigeria’s copyright law. Pitch fees would now be
paid to agencies that participated in a pitch process in line with best
practices while profile presentations, agency visits, meet-and-greets are made
free. However, Strategy and/or Creative Presentation attracts pitch fees if the
agency participates in a pitch. “Agency Disengagement Policy: Where advertisers
decide to disengage an agency, an incoming agency, the outgoing agency and the
advertiser must reconcile all financial obligations which have arisen during
the existence of the business relationship. The outgoing agency must hand over
the assets and liabilities of the account to the new agency to enable
interested parties to track financial obligations and responsibilities
“Contract:
All contracts of advertisement, advertising, and marketing communications
mandatorily expected to be in writing and duly signed by parties involved in
the contract. AAAN Chairman, and former Chairman, Zenith Bank, Sir Steve
Omojafor, who was also present at the event congratulated the newly inducted
fellows of APCON. He said:
“I
congratulate and welcome the newly inaugurated fellows into the eminent fold of
the highest category of membership recognised by APCON’s enabling Act.
“
On behalf of APCON, doyens, and fellows of the advertising profession and
advertising community, I welcome you to the fellowship cadre of the profession.
I wish you the very best in all your endeavours,” he said. The inductees
expressed appreciation for the distinguished honour which represented a
recognition of their professionalism and impact over the years.
Some
of the practitioners who were honoured with the highest level memberships
include Omoba Segun Adewale, Ikpe Kennedy Onyeali, Steve Babaeko, Alaba Fadero,
Kelechi Nwosu, Yinka Adebayo, Okeke Christopher Emeka, Adelusi Olufemi, Benson
Abayomi, Ajufo Emmanuel and a host of others.
The
event was graced with the presence of Nigeria’s “Father of Advertising” and CEO
Troyka Holdings Limited— Biodun Shobanjo; Chairman of STB McCann and former
Chairman of Zenith Bank, Sir Steve Omojafor; Heads of Sectoral Groups including
Femi Adelusi, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN)
Others
are Steve Babaeko, President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria
(AAAN); Tunji Adeyinka, Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN);
Idorenyen Enang, President, National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN);
and many other notable advertising professionals.
–Joseph
Seun Emmanuel
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