AAAN @ 50: The Gains, the Pains

The decision made five decades ago by a few vibrant and forward-looking professionals in the then evolving Nigeria’s Marketing space to harness the opportunities provided by the indigenisation policy of the federal government, through formulation of an organised professional body, could be said to have yielded bountiful success but not without some drawbacks. Raheem Akingbolu reports.

Before and after Nigeria’s independence in 1960, a few Nigerians who by design or accident ventured into the business of advertising struggled hard for recognition but their voice was not heard. Of course, the challenges had since been attributed to various factors, including the nebulous origin of the profession, foreign dominance and nonchalant attitude of the government. But in 1973, the Major-General Yakubu Gowon administration’s indigenisation Policy became the opportunity the few practitioners were waiting for to put their feet on the ground and assert authority. Thus, the decree encouraged those in the business of advertising to form a body then called Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), which has since changed its name to Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Looking back into the last 50 years, Nigeria’s advertising business has witnessed tremendous growth especially in recent times. Seen from the view point of agency billings, proliferation of advertising agencies and contribution to brand building, the industry is indeed experiencing the best of times. Obviously, there is no brand in Nigeria that is worth its salt, either local or international brand, that has not worked with at least one member of this association. Such was its importance and relevance to the business and practice of advertising and the whole gamut of brand building and nurturing. Unfortunately, the consistent appeal made to help in managing the ‘project Nigeria’ brand hasn’t been given the expected approval by the federal government. Another noticeable flaw on the part of the government is poor recognition and patronage for the industry. In 2013, when the association was celebrating its 40th anniversary, the then president, Mrs Bunmi Oke, promised that by 2023 advertising agencies should be the ones working on various federal government campaigns through the ministries and parastatals.

“Vision is that at the federal government level, the president and his ministers whenever they want to do a campaign, the first thing they will have in mind is the fact that “which agency are we using. Just the same way they will ask of the accountants and lawyers, I want it to get to a point where they will realise and recognise the importance of putting think-tanks together to always work on those projects,” she recalled

Speaking further, she said this should also extend to foreign missions in the country.

Adding, “I would like a situation whereby when foreign embassies in Nigeria are doing things, they would look for agencies to work with and promote things in Nigeria, that day, I will know we’ve really come of age as professionals.”

Engaging Federal Government

As at today, advertising agencies have not been able to work on 50% of federal government briefs. On the part of agency owners, it is time they increase the rate at which they engage both federal and governments for advertising briefs.

Perhaps, agency heads need to intensify their efforts in lobbying governments for advertising jobs and more  advertising professionals need to jostle to occupy more public offices so as to facilitate advertising businesses and above all, Nigeria advertising professionals should market their services.

Apart from working to have more government briefs, experts have urged advertising professionals to strive and meet the expectations of present sophisticated and technologically savvy customers that easily use multiple devices to talk to themselves.

In terms of combining creative copy writing or brand content creation and publishing to form advertising storytelling to face the emergence of different audiences in the present day digital world, few agencies appear to have  gotten there while some are still struggling to find their feet.

However, to many experts, it has been established that whether the creative industry likes it or not, there is still a need to establish proper advertising vocational schools to train and retrain prospective and potential advertising practitioners in order to make them capable of facing and solving the present and future advertising challenges

The recent unveiling of the 50th anniversary logo of AAAN in Lagos, no doubt, signaled the commencement of a year-long celebration of the golden jubilee of this  group, comprising agencies and individuals, whose contributions to the  nation’s advertising space, have remained undimmed  by time.

New logo unveiled

But, besides the logo unveil witnessed by the  crème de la crème of the industry, including some past presidents of the association, the event also provided an opportunity for stakeholders to walk down memory lane, and relive how the association had been  able to shape the cause of advertising in Nigeria in the past five decades.

Interestingly, the exploits were not in short supply, and, of huge significance was the revelation of the association’s role in bringing forth the apex regulatory body in the industry, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), now Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON ).

Speaking on the history of advertising in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, AAAN, Sir Steve Omojafor noted that advertising practice had evolved, since making its debut, in 1928, in Nigeria, through the West African Publicity Ltd, set up by the UAC to serve its interests and those of other companies in some English-Speaking West African countries.

Of note, also, is the advent of Lintas, and the agency’s take-over of the West African Publicity role, after the latter had left the scene, thereby becoming the first agency to play in the nation’s advertising space.

Omojafor was also quick to remind the audience that the first set of advertising then was at its crudest form, carried out by town-criers; with products physically taken from one community to the other.

Evolving advertising practice

Speaking on the history of advertising in Nigeria, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, AAAN, Sir Steve Omojafor noted that advertising practice had evolved, since making its debut, in 1928, in Nigeria, through the West African Publicity Ltd, set up by the UAC to serve its interests and those of other companies in some English-Speaking West African countries.

Of note, also, is the advent of Lintas, and the agency’s take-over of the West African Publicity role, after the latter had left the scene, thereby becoming the first agency to play in the nation’s advertising space.

Omojafor was also quick to remind the audience that the first set of advertising then was at its crudest form, carried out by town-criers; with products physically taken from one community to the other.

“The advent of Radio, Television and even print however provided the opportunity for those people to take their products to those platforms for exposure,” he stated.

However, the need to structure some of those activities and regulate them made some practitioners come together in 1971 and insisted on having a code and set of laws guiding their activities, he explained

“It took some of those practitioners, which include: Biodun Sanwo, Sam Iyamu, Olu Adekoya and others, two years to come together and form what was then called the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), in 1973,” Omojafor, also a former president of the association, stated.

While congratulating the present executive members of the association for their ability to improve on the system their predecessors had been able to put in place, Omojafor, described the golden jubilee anniversary as typifying ’50 years of putting law and order in place’.

Also speaking at the event, another former President/BOT Chairman of the association, Mr. Ayo Owoborode, explained how the association facilitated the birth of the apex regulatory body in the industry, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), now Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

At the AGM of the association in 1986, the candidates vying for the position of the association’s president were mandated to tell the house of our agenda for the association, and the industry.

“I told them I was going to ensure that advertising was given a professional status such as Law, Medicine and others. And what we did then was to go to Chief Olu Falae, the Secretary of the Federation, who apparently was excited about the idea,” Owoborode stated.

Association’s advantage to Industry

Meanwhile, to the association’s advantage and to the benefits of advertising sector generally, the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP) as formulated by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) is meant to revitalise the advertising sector and grow the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operating in the space.

It also came to the fore as part of the measures to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in the country.

The AISOP, according to its promoters, was expected to create a standard operating system that would stimulate advertising practice and the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) environment as a whole.

This came about as a result of various calls by stakeholders in the advertising space who have been calling for regulation as a result of various malaises, such as audience measurement; debt recovery; pitch fee; payment terms; and others affecting them.

Director General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON , Olalekan Fadolapo, has made it clear during the public presentation of AISOP in Lagos last year that the faithful application of the Advertising Industry Reform in the country would not only grow the business of advertising and marketing communications but will also create well over 100,000 jobs directly and indirectly in the coming years.

The benefits of AISOP as stated by ARCON and others would lead to the development of the advertising space and as the association clocks 50, it must ready to present itself in such a way that the benefits of AISOP do not elude her.

From a humble 23 membership strength in 1973 to its present membership strength, from few agencies to over 50 presently and from a cumulative advert billings of about N20 million to current billion billing,  the industry can be said to have recorded a colossal growth, in the volume of businesses, number of practitioners and in improving standards.

In the words of its current President, Steve Babaeko, “AAAN might not have solved all the challenges facing advertising business in Nigeria, there is no doubt the fact that it has gone a long way in redefining the industry. Besides, it has played a commendable role in job creation and changing perception about the Nigeria project. As more foreign direct investments come into the country, it is expected that in the years ahead the industry would continue to experience quantum leap,”