The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has raised strong objections to the proposed “Chartered Out-of-Home Media Practitioners of Nigeria Bill, 2024 (SB.448),” warning that its passage could destabilize the advertising industry and lead to legal and operational conflicts.
The Council appealed to the Senate Joint Committee to discontinue deliberations on the Bill, urging them to prioritize stability and unity in the advertising sector. The Council emphasized that maintaining a single, cohesive regulatory framework is critical for sustaining growth, attracting investment, and supporting Federal Government policies aimed at economic development.
“The passage of this Bill would be counterproductive, destabilizing the advertising industry and undermining the Federal Government’s reform efforts,” ARCON concluded.
According to ARCON, passing this Bill would duplicate functions, potentially creating a crisis due to conflicting oversight roles between Federal Government agencies. Additionally, it notes that outdoor advertising regulation is constitutionally vested in local governments under Section 1(k) of the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). State laws on environmental and physical planning also play significant roles, raising fears of jurisdictional clashes.
ARCON also highlighted the proposed agency’s contradiction of the Federal Government’s cost-reduction agenda. The Oronsaye Report, which advocates merging overlapping government agencies, underscores the inefficiency of creating a new regulatory body for a specialization already under ARCON’s purview. Such redundancy, ARCON contends, would not only waste resources but nullify efforts to streamline governance and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The Council emphasized that the Bill’s passage could fragment the industry, which has recently made significant strides toward unity and reform under ARCON’s leadership. Creating an additional regulatory body for out-of-home practitioners could lead to conflicting standards, multiple certifications, and legal disputes. This, in turn, might erode investor confidence and negatively impact Nigeria’s ease-of-doing-business rankings.
Furthermore, ARCON warns that the Bill could set a dangerous precedent, encouraging other advertising specializations—such as media planning, digital advertising, and creative advertising—to demand similar Bills. This proliferation of regulatory bodies would likely lead to chaos, stifling the industry’s growth and damaging the broader economy.
ARCON maintains that the proposed body would add no tangible economic or developmental value. Instead, it would introduce unnecessary bureaucracy, further complicating regulatory processes. Outdoor advertising is already effectively governed by ARCON, alongside local and state government agencies. Creating a parallel body would increase gatekeeping, delay processes, and discourage investment in the sector.
The Bill seeks to define outdoor advertising practitioners, license organizations, and regulate the aesthetics, structure, and quality of out-of-home advertising infrastructure. Proponents argue that it will protect investments and elevate standards in the sector. However, ARCON has expressed concerns that these objectives overlap with its existing mandate as provided under the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2024.
