By Amechi Obiakpu
Lawyer to Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Charles Odenigbo, on Thursday advised stakeholders in advertising to comply with the ethical code and law of advertising in the country.
He gave the advice at the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) Stakeholders’ Forum held
to address some of the unhealthy practise in the profession with the view to strengthen the industry.
“Ignorance of the law is not an excuse, when you are in doubt, consult your lawyer. We cannot leave this place without talking about the law. The law has come to take its stand and whatever we do today must be guided by the law and the law is very clear, beware of section 34 of the new Act, and be mindful of sections 54 and 57 of the Act. Be very familiar with sections 60 to 63 of the Act, and be familiar with the code of advertising if you are in doubt get a lawyer to distill the provisions and guide you.
“We have to leave this place with the knowledge that unwholesome advertisement, advertising and marketing communication must be brought to an end in this country. The digital platforms and traditional media (newspapers) are not excluded. The advertisers are the ones that stand to benefit most and the media, and the advertisers are the greatest beneficiaries, but the media and the advertisers are the greatest violators. I hope that before we leave this place today, we will address this matter.”
In her presentation on “Ethical advertising practice: Things to avoid in marketing communications, Omowunmi Owodunni, ASP Chairperson, said ethical advertising practise is about doing the right thing especially as it falls within the law.
According to her, advertising is a business which has laws guiding it anywhere in the world. And the laws have to be respected.
“Ethical advertising practise is all about doing the right thing. It is a choice we all make which is actually supposed to be a way of life and not what we do because we are forced to. And right here in Nigeria even if the law tells us what to do, we still don’t do it,” she noted, adding that when we flout the law, we are affecting something whether we like it or not.
The event had in attendance stakeholders in the advertising profession.
