Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says the government remains committed to promoting policies that protect both consumers and businesses in the country.
The Information Minister stated this at the opening of the fourth National Advertising Conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Idris, who was represented by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Larne Issa-Onilu, said advertising is a driver of economic growth and a connector of brands and people, hence the need to ensure a digital ecosystem that promotes trust, transparency, and accountability.
“As we navigate this technological landscape, we must remain vigilant about issues like data privacy, cybersecurity, and the spread of misinformation and fake news. Technology is a powerful tool, but one that requires ethical responsibility. As a government, we are committed to promoting policies that protect both consumers and businesses, thereby ensuring a digital ecosystem that promotes trust, transparency, and accountability.
“Advertising reflects and, in many ways shapes culture. As our society becomes increasingly interconnected and diverse, advertisers face the challenge of creating messages that resonate across a broad spectrum of demographics, languages, and values. This calls for a new level of sensitivity and awareness in advertising. Our industry must embrace these shifts, celebrating our culture in all its diversity while setting standards for responsible communication.”
The Minister also stressed that Advertisers must recognize the growing impact of local content in shaping the national narrative.
“At the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where Nigerian creatives and content producers can thrive, strengthening our cultural identity and enabling the stories of Nigeria to reach global audiences. I urge advertisers to be mindful of this and to be advocates for our rich cultural heritage as they develop their campaigns. To remain competitive, advertising agencies and media companies need to be agile and open to experimentation. This means embracing partnerships, investing in continuous learning, and adapting strategies to stay relevant in a changing marketplace.”
According to the Director General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, there is a need to embrace the shifts in technology and culture, to meet up with the emergence of new business models.
“We all understand that there is a significant shift in the way we do our business. Every time we are faced with new challenges coming from regulation, technology, coming from business models, and everything, we are better equipped to face these challenges and ensure that our business is positioned. What this has called for is that every minute, every hour, every day, we need to continue to review our business model. If we don’t do that as an industry, one day, we will face a big problem. The bottom line is shrinking. Our current industry span is not growing. But yet, there is a shift from traditional media to new media. Digital media is becoming more relevant. Data and statistics are becoming the order of the day,” he said.
Also speaking, the President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku said the partnership is critical to maintaining a healthy business environment.
“Nobody can do it alone. And this is why we are aligning very closely with ARCON. ARCON is leading us in this because we are coming together to unveil the biggest marketing communication platform in Africa.ARCON, NIPR, and NINN are coming together to work in a manner that will help us to take charge of this industry. We believe that the reputation door, the reputation gate of Nigeria has been left unmanned for too long. Therefore, we are now taking responsibility to mine the reputation gates of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And to do this, NIPR is leading. We are working with ARCON and NINN and all the other organizations that are involved in matters of destination branding and global competitiveness,” he said.
Participants were to use the conference as an opportunity to share ideas, build partnerships, and lay the foundation for a resilient and forward-looking advertising industry.
The fourth National Advertising Conference is with the theme ‘Navigating the Shifts: Technology, Culture, and New Business Models’.
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