Top Nigerian Agencies May Lose Practicing Licence over Failure to Meet Financial Obligations

Raheem Akingbolu

For their inability to fulfill financial practicing obligation for two years, a few Nigerian agencies may loose their licence before the end of this year, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has revealed.

Registrar/Chief Executive of APCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, who read the riot act to the debtor agencies, in a statement titled, “Removal/Suspension of Names from the Register of Advertising Practitioner,” a copy of which was made available to THISDAY, said the decision to sanction erring agencies is in line with APCON’s recently released code of practice.

The statement read in part: “By this notice, registered advertising practitioners are advised to take note that the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) shall, in line with section 9(2)(d) and (e) of the Advertising Practitioners (Registration Etc) Act, CAP A7, L.F.N. 2004, remove from the register of practitioners, with effect from Friday 17th December 2021, the names of persons who have failed, refused or neglected to pay the prescribed practice fees in accordance with their category of membership for the past five years from 1st December 2021.”

“Similarly, registered advertising practitioners who are yet to pay the fees prescribed for their categories in accordance with the provisions of Act for the past two to five years from the 1st December 2021 shall have their membership of the profession suspended. Any person whose name has been removed from the register and seeks to be readmitted shall, upon payment of all outstanding fees, present a new application for membership and shall pass through the membership admission process afresh. A suspended member will have a period of one-year moratorium from the date of suspension within which to pay all outstanding fees or have his/her name removed from the register, ”the statement said.

In a related development, the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) Act, which guides the professional conduct of all marketing professionals in Nigeria, has set up a special project team to review the NIMN Act.

According to the Institute, the council at the meeting of the ‘Body of Fellows,’ held recently, inaugurated the special team.
It added that it has solicited the input of the ‘Body of the Fellows’ in the review exercise through making suggestions/recommendations on sections of the Act that should be amended.

Registrar, NIMN, Sydney Ogbodo, while shedding light on the planned review of the Act, revealed that it was enacted in 2003 by an Act of parliament for the great Institute to make rules and regulations that will guide the professional practice and conduct of marketing professionals in Nigeria.

“The purpose of the Institute is to be relevant to its stakeholders, and the review of the Act is to make the Institute more relevant so that whatever constraint that the Council or the Institute is having will be addressed with the amendment of the Act, ”Ogbodo said.
The Registrar mentioned that the Act has served the institute for eighteen years, noting that ‘waters have passed under the bridge’ within the period in question.

His words: “We need to review the Act to be in tune with modern realities in the society. Having operated the Act, we have seen some shortcomings in terms of innovation. We need to review and amend it to be updated so that it can continue to serve the needs of the Institute and members.”

Ogbodo explained that the Institute has sent the copy of the Act to members of the Body of Fellows, asking them to review and suggest areas that should be amended based on their experience.
The copy, he said, will be submitted back to the council on 22 October 2021, after which it will be sent to the National Assembly to re-establish it.