Advertising: ARCON’s Appropriate Guardrail

Olujimi Fasanya

As a people, we are victims of deep-seated xenophilia-the attraction to foreigners, their culture or customs, iconography et al. The opposite, xenophobia, is the one we are more familiar with because it is more in-your-face through the violent outcomes it frequently produces. While xenophilia is not violent, it is eminently capable of producing outcomes that, over time, will result in the erosion, obliteration even, of national values, initiatives, pride and, of course, economic base.

That these-and more-are distinct possibilities is the reason I have found opposition, admittedly not loud, to the announcement by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) of the ban on the use of foreign models and voice-over artists in the production of advertisement materials for placement on Nigerian media channels effective 1 October.

ARCON, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, explained that the policy is in line with that of the Federal Government to promote local content, talents, thereby accelerating economic growth.

“In line with the federal government’s policy of developing local talent, inclusive economic growth and the need to take necessary steps and actions aimed at growing the Nigerian advertising industry, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), being the apex advertising, advertisement and marketing communications’ regulatory agency of the federal government, has in accordance with its statutory mandates, responsibilities and powers as conveyed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022, bans the use of foreign models and voice-over artists on any advertisement targeted or exposed on the Nigerian advertising space with effect from 1st October 2022. All advertisements, advertising and marketing communications materials are to make use of only Nigerian models and voice-over artists,” ARCON said in the statement.

Sensibly, the policy allows ongoing campaigns to run out their terms, but states that future applications for re-validation to have such materials running will be rejected by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP).

The policy, of course, is by no means the single-shot vaccine that will cure us of all xenophilic inclinations, but it will address the strain in the marketing communications space and possibly nudge us towards taking similar actions that could lead to policy changes in other spaces of our national life.

First, it seeks to ensure that jobs do not go to foreigners when domestically, we have shoals of people ready, willing and able to do such. That this has been the situation for a long time, casting domestic talents as children of a lesser god as marked by preference for foreign models, is regrettable. It is more so, given Nigeria’s position as, perhaps, the country with the largest number of creative talents per square on the African continent. Those talents keep churning out impressive output and are known as well as admired all around the continent. They are not exactly unknown in other parts of the world where our cinematic and musical output is consumed.

The ban on the use of foreign models and voice-over artists carries implications. Encouraging ones, that is. Where the development and advancement of domestic talents was shackled, they will be unshackled. That also means that the constriction of opportunities for work, represented by uncontrolled use of their foreign counterparts, will be relaxed and they can breathe more easily.

There is, of course, the chance to arrest the capital flight that is guaranteed by sending the largest slices of advertising production money out of the country. There is also the important bit that the models and voices featured in campaigns are accurate representations of Nigeria and Nigerianness. We have our own faces and voices, after all. How does using foreign models for locally-sold brands even make any sense?

It is hardly surprising that the dominant sentiment trailing the policy by individuals and groups is resounding approval. Mike Igbe, acting President, Guild of Professional Talent Managers of Nigeria (GUPTMAN), is of the view that the policy is one with the potential to help the economy.

 “If this law stands, it will definitely generate a lot of revenue for the country, the industry will grow, talents will grow, and they will stop migrating and looking for greener pastures in foreign climes. The only thing we will need to talk about is the stipends that are being handed to the creatives. Most of these people will use them for briefs with big budgets and hand them peanuts at the end of the day. I think the advertising body should see to that as well,” Igbe said.

President, Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), Mrs. Jibe Ologeh, argued that the ban on foreign models is one that is long overdue. She is of the view that the country is sufficiently resourced to handle international-standard advertising productions, adding that Nollywood, the country’s movie industry has demonstrated its nous via output are showing on international platforms like Netflix, Amazon and others.

Model and content developer, Jennifer Okotie-Eboh, is convinced that the policy will vastly widen opportunities available to Nigerian models. “As a model, I feel elated. But then, I wonder if this law will trickle down with compensating benefits for models in Nigeria, considering the strong claws/hold modelling agencies have on their talents. Some agencies are making money off talents with the talents having little/not so much compensation (This talk is for another day). But ultimately, this comes as even greater news for freelancers. Nonetheless, it’s a welcome idea with ripple effects; considering it’ll give room for the growth of local talent/creatives, and an avenue for better/higher flow of revenue in the creative space,” she said.

What ARCON has done is to install a guardrail.

Fasanya writes from Lagos