The proposed “Chartered Out-of-Home Media Practitioners of Nigeria Bill, 2024” (SB 448), has sparked significant debate among stakeholders following a Senate public hearing on November 20, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, aims to create a regulatory body to professionalize the Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising sector. However, many stakeholders, including the government and key industry organizations, have voiced strong opposition, warning that the bill may undermine progress in the advertising industry.
The Federal Ministry of Information, the Nigerian Press Council, and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) have openly criticized the proposed legislation. Additionally, major industry groups, including the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), and the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), have formally expressed disapproval through letters to the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service.
In a letter dated November 25, 2024, Dr. Yemisi Bamgbose, Executive Secretary of BON, urged the Senate Committee to reject the bill. BON argued that the proposed body would create redundant functions already handled effectively by ARCON under the Advertising Regulatory Council Act of 2022.
“We have found that the proposed body’s functions overlap entirely with ARCON’s existing mandate, which already regulates all advertising sub-sectors, including OOH media,” BON stated.
AAAN and EXMAN shared similar concerns. Lanre Adisa, AAAN’s President, described the bill as an “unnecessary duplication,” emphasizing that ARCON and state-level agencies already regulate the OOH sector effectively. EXMAN President Tolulope Medebem echoed these sentiments, warning that creating another regulatory body would fragment the industry and disrupt its integration.
The public hearing process has also faced scrutiny for excluding critical stakeholders. Notably, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), which oversees outdoor advertising through local regulations, was not invited.
An industry insider criticized the oversight, stating, “How do you exclude key stakeholders like ALGON or state signage agencies while inviting COREN, an engineering body with minimal relevance to advertising?”
The Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) adopted a neutral position. In its submission, signed by President Dozie Okafor, MIPAN acknowledged the bill’s intent to professionalize the sector but raised concerns about duplication and conflicts with ARCON’s mandate.
Economists have raised questions about the financial viability of the bill, particularly at a time when the Federal Government is implementing the Orosanya report by merging or eliminating redundant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Critics argue that creating a new regulatory body would be a step backward, adding unnecessary costs without clear revenue-generation prospects.
“Establishing another agency means more funding and logistics requirements. Will this agency generate revenue, or is this just taking one step forward and several steps back?” one economist queried.
The Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service will continue deliberating the bill, considering submissions from stakeholders and testimonies from the public hearing. Despite these discussions, concerns persist over the credibility of the process and the motivations behind the bill, with critics questioning whether it serves genuine industry development or hidden personal agendas.
As the debate unfolds, stakeholders hope for a resolution that prioritizes the industry’s growth and avoids unnecessary regulatory overlaps.
