FG Warns Advertisers against Unapproved Ads on Facebook, Instagram

Raheem Akingbolu

To protect consumers and further bring sanity into advertising practice, the federal government has called on individuals and organisations to  desist from exposing unlawful and unethical advertisements on treatment of a range of ailments on Instagram and Facebook platforms. The two platforms are owned by Meta Incorporated and represented in Nigeria by Facebook Nigeria Operations Limited.

In a statement issued by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), which was signed by its Director General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, the government stated that that the spurious and unsubstantiated claims in the advertisements pose serious health risks to Nigerians as they have no clinical or any scientific proof of their efficacies.

According to the statement, the council pointed out that its investigation has revealed that most of the products being exposed illegally are not certified by relevant government agencies and may not be safe for consumption. It further stated that the the brand owners are taking the loose opportunities offered by online media platforms to expose those unapproved advertisements.

“These advertisements with frivolous claims were neither submitted to, nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) being the statutory Panel established by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022 to ensure that advertisements targeting the Nigerian market conform with advertising ethics as well as the prevailing laws of the Federation,” Olalekan reveals.

ARCON promised to take necessary actions to ensure that the individuals and organizations involved are sanctioned in line with the prevailing laws and the Code of Advertising.

Toward the end of last year, ARCON said it would take all necessary steps to ensure Jols Medix Nigeria Limited was sanctioned for running an online/social media advert, without the authorisation of the council.

The apex regulatory body had noted that the company had run a social media platform advert of Lung Detox Tea, which, it stated, claims the tea makes smoking healthy.

It stated that the advert was neither submitted for vetting nor approved by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP).

ASP is the statutory body with the responsibility of ensuring that all advertisements conform with the Nigerian Code of Advertising, in line with Section 53 of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022.

“Upon petition, ARCON investigated the company’s advertising activities. It was discovered that besides the Lung Detox Tea advert, there are other advertisements with unsubstantiated claims exposed on the company’s Instagram page, a platform owned by Meta Inc, and represented in Nigeria by Facebook Nigeria Operations Limited,” it stated.