Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of information and culture, claims that the government has approved the implementation of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria’s (APCON) reform recommendations to enhance the sector, promote inclusive growth, and draw investment to the ecosystem.
Mohammed announced this in a statement made at the 49th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria on Saturday in Epe, Lagos State.
“As many of you are aware, one of the bold and necessary steps we have taken in recent times is the approval of the ongoing reform initiatives of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). The reform is aimed at strengthening the advertising ecosystem, encouraging inclusive growth as well as attracting investment to the industry,” he said.
According to the Minister’s paper, “The New World Order: Digital Transformation in Communication,” advertising and brand marketing are two examples of industries where consumer data are crucial, necessitating technology for audience interaction.
He said that speaking directly with customers in a data-enabled environment had brought businesses and entrepreneurs closer to their customers than ever before in a world where opportunity and danger were changing quickly.
“The odds of success or solution to any challenge in this new world order is as high as our regard for the power of digital technology. And the entrepreneurial opportunities lying in wait at that crossroad between technology and the economy of sectors like advertising and brand communication is vast and you, as industry leaders, must continue to harness a variety of talents and competences to take maximum advantage of the opportunities presented,” Mohamed said.
Mohammed claimed that the realisation required the establishment of the Ministerial Task Team on Audience Measurement System of the power of technology in brand communication to provide a legal and constitutional framework for a national, systemic, accountable, and data-driven understanding of the impact of communication on consumer behaviour.
Mohammed went on to say that the Federal Government was committed to utilising all of the opportunities provided by social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp for the good of the populace. He also mentioned that some of the biggest tech companies had expressed interest in investing and examining business opportunities in the Nigerian digital market.
