GLO Limited may soon be sanctioned, as the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) threatened to prosecute it for airing Nollywood actress Osas Ighodaro’s cleavage in an advert.
Flagging a Glo dial *109# “Link your NIN” commercial in which Ighodaro was featured, APCON’s President, Olalekan Fadolapo, in a statement, noted that the advert is currently aired on some TV stations and social media pages, adding that it is inappropriate.
According to him, the Glo advert which was targeted at the Nigerian market had elicited complaints about the exposure of the model’s cleavage.
Therefore, Fadolapo wrote Glo, asking the telco to stop further exposure of the advert or face punitive sanctioning from APCON.
“The advertisement was neither submitted nor approved for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panel, the statutory body charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisement confirms the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the Code of Ethics of Advertising in Nigeria,” the statement quoted Fadolapo as saying.
Is APCON regulating social media ads now like that of Glo?
Considering the fact that APCON noted that Glo also aired the ‘inappropriate’ ad on social media as it did on terrestrial broadcasting channels, BizWatch Nigeria understands that the regulator may have extended its footprint to the digital space.
Addressing concerns relating to ‘inappropriate’ ads on social media, Fadolapo said APCON often receives petitions relating to that, as people call for sanctioning of firms.
His words: “Many people are bloggers and influencers offering themselves, their services, blogs, and media handles as platforms for product and services to be advertised on without recourse to accepted principles and ethics of the advertising practice.
“The sharp increase in violations and infractions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising is not only worrisome but also portends danger.
“APCON has been inundated with petitions over unethical advertisements exposed on the online media platforms targeting Nigeria market by both the primary and secondary digital media platform owners.
“Sadly, we have had complaints and petitions from the general public to call online media platform owners to order because of some reprehensible advertisements such as those promoting rituals, patronage of private parts enlargement, breast enlargement, love portions, money charms, concoctions to provide political powers, and other many unimaginable things not worthy to be mentioned in the public media. Some others have claimed the ability to cure all manner of ailments with one particular product without scientific proof.
“A particular advertisement has offered the ultimate solution with one product for getting rid of piles, HIV, diabetes, COVID, Stroke, Cancer, etc.”
