Until a few years ago, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) was widely regarded as a trusted regulatory authority for advertising agencies and brand owners, providing guidance and oversight to ensure compliance and industry growth. Today, however, that perception has reversed, with the regulator facing mounting criticism from advertisers and stakeholders over policies and operational practices that they say are stifling the growth of Nigeria’s advertising and creative industry.
According to industry stakeholders, ARCON has been operating without a fully constituted governing council, a development they argue contravenes the provisions of the agency’s enabling law and undermines institutional oversight and accountability.
Advertisers and agencies have also raised concerns over multiple vetting and promotional fees imposed by the regulator, noting that these charges are escalating campaign costs and forcing brands to scale back marketing activities. Some stakeholders further alleged that ARCON’s interventions in private commercial contracts have created uncertainty and disrupted business relationships.
Questions have also been raised about the regulator’s overall performance. A Federal Government Business Enabling Environment (BEE) assessment reportedly rated ARCON poorly on efficiency, transparency, and timeliness, intensifying criticisms of its service delivery and regulatory effectiveness.
Industry analysts warn that prolonged regulatory uncertainty could have wider economic consequences, including reduced advertising spend, job losses across media and creative agencies, and declining revenues for media organisations and government.
Efforts to obtain a response from ARCON were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.