In a defining moment for Nigeria’s outdoor advertising industry, Emmanuel Ajufo, immediate past president of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), has come out strongly in support of the Chartered Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Practitioners Bill currently under consideration by the National Assembly. In a candid and clarifying statement, Ajufo emphasized that the bill is not only in the best interest of the industry but also addresses a long-standing structural gap that has hampered professionalism, regulation, and industry cohesion.
Far from being a rival framework to the existing Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Act, Ajufo clarified that the proposed bill complements existing legislation by focusing on areas where ARCON has no statutory responsibility, specifically, the physical management of advertising infrastructure across Nigeria.
“The Chartered OOH Media Bill is not a duplication of the ARCON law. It is a necessary complement,” Ajufo explained. “ARCON regulates advertising content and licensing of practitioners and agencies. However, it does not, and cannot, regulate site management, which is a critical part of our business.”
According to Ajufo, the business of Out-of-Home media operates on two foundational pillars: the content of the advertisement (what the public sees), and the physical deployment of those ads (the structures and sites, which is the billboards, digital screens, gantries, etc., on which the ads are displayed). While ARCON governs the content side of the equation, the deployment and site management is largely the jurisdiction of local and state governments, as enshrined in Schedule 4 of Nigeria’s Constitution.
“ARCON is not involved in site management; if you’re looking for locations for billboards, ARCON is not the body to approach. They don’t decide where boards should go or which type to use. ARCON cannot intervene in matters related to the management of sites because the regulation of our physical advertising assets is beyond their scope.”
This gap, he noted, is what the Chartered OOH Media Bill seeks to address. It aims to give the OOH advertising sub-sector its own statutory recognition and framework under a professional body, that can represent, register, and manage practitioners operating in this unique space.
Ajufo believes the time has come for OAAN to evolve from a trustee-run association into a statutorily recognized professional institution, with the mandate to uphold standards and protect the interests of its members and stakeholders.
“Just like no one is allowed to practice law without passing through law school and being called to the bar, we believe no one should practice in the Out-of-Home media space without being registered by a professional body with a clear mandate and structure,” he asserted.
In the proposed model, ARCON will continue issuing licenses to advertising agencies and individuals across the industry, while the Chartered OOH body will handle the registration, verification, and discipline of professionals operating in the OOH media space. This dual structure ensures clarity of roles, improves professionalism, and creates a verifiable database of practitioners that can be referenced by state signage agencies, regulatory bodies, and even advertisers.
Responding to concerns that the bill could create regulatory overlaps or challenge ARCON’s supremacy, Ajufo was unequivocal in his response:
“There is no conflict. There is no duplication. This bill was never intended to override or interfere with ARCON. Rather, it provides structure to an aspect of the industry that ARCON, by law and by function, does not regulate.”
He revealed that OAAN has been in active dialogue with stakeholders across the advertising ecosystem to dispel misconceptions and build industry-wide consensus. The focus, he said, is on achieving synergy not supremacy.
“The key point about the bill is understanding. Some concerns have been raised about duplicating ARCON’s responsibilities, but this is not the case. There is no reason for worry, and that’s why we’ve been engaging with key stakeholders in the industry to clear up any misconceptions.”
If passed into law, the bill will formalize the OOH sector, establish a code of conduct, streamline training and capacity building, and ensure that practitioners adhere to a uniform set of standards. It will also help eliminate the proliferation of unlicensed practitioners and unscrupulous players who damage the reputation of the industry.
“We want to be able to say, with certainty, that anyone practicing Out-of-Home advertising in Nigeria has met minimum professional requirements,” Ajufo added. “It’s about industry pride, responsibility, and sustainability.”
For Ajufo and OAAN, the Chartered OOH Media Bill represents not just a piece of legislation but a long-awaited validation of the Out-of-Home sector’s role in the advertising and marketing value chain.
“The time has come to give structure to the space we operate in. We need to institutionalize excellence. We need to protect our industry. And most importantly, we need to be prepared for the future of advertising in a digitally integrated world,” he concluded.
As Nigeria’s marketing and advertising industry continues to evolve, the passage of the Chartered OOH Media Bill could be the critical next step toward aligning with international standards and ensuring long-term relevance and professionalism in one of its most visible segments.
