The intervention comes after ADVAN’s open letter to the Presidency questioning aspects of ARCON’s operations and the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP), and the regulator’s subsequent response. In a measured statement, HASG reviewed both positions and urged stakeholders to prioritize industry stability over confrontation.

At the heart of its position, HASG unequivocally endorsed the inauguration of the ARCON Council by the Federal Government, describing a properly constituted council as critical to strengthening governance, enhancing accountability and ensuring balanced oversight of regulatory activities. According to HASG, activating the council is not merely procedural but fundamental to reinforcing transparency, institutional credibility and confidence across the ecosystem.

On the contentious Advertising Industry Standard of Practice, HASG maintained that AISOP remains essential to the long-term sustainability of the sector. Introduced to promote professionalism, standardize operations and protect value within the advertising chain, AISOP, the body argued, is designed to create order and equity in a complex and rapidly evolving marketplace. While acknowledging that regulatory frameworks may face implementation challenges, HASG stressed that such concerns should be resolved through structured engagement and constructive negotiation rather than withdrawal from established platforms.

The group emphasized that the Nigerian advertising landscape functions best when advertisers, agencies, media owners, regulators and allied institutions work in concert. It therefore called on ADVAN to return to the HASG forum in the spirit of partnership and collective problem-solving, underscoring that sustainable progress can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue.

In a move aimed at de-escalation, HASG disclosed plans to hold separate consultative meetings with the leadership of both ADVAN and ARCON. The objective, it said, is to address areas of concern, identify common ground and chart a path toward lasting resolution.

Framing the situation not as a contest between regulator and regulated but as an opportunity for reform, HASG argued that regulation and growth are not opposing forces. Instead, they must coexist to build a stable, competitive and investment-friendly advertising environment capable of supporting enterprise, stimulating consumer engagement, generating employment and projecting Nigeria’s image globally.

For HASG, the stakes are too high for fragmentation. The industry, it warned, cannot afford to be weakened by division at a time when its contribution to national economic growth remains significant.

Reaffirming its commitment to lawful and accountable regulation, continuous policy refinement and open stakeholder engagement, HASG concluded with a clear message: the path forward lies in conversation, collaboration and collective responsibility.

The industry, it insists, must move forward together.