The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has warned influencers and content creators to seek prior approval before publishing advertisements on any platform henceforth.
The council recently revealed that the directive should not be taken lightly, as severe punishment awaits anyone caught breaking the rules from now on.
Speaking via a press statement that was signed by ARCON Director-General, Olalekan Fadolapo, the council revealed that the growing trend of misleading advertisements, particularly on digital platforms, is very concerning, and the recent collapse of the CBEX Ponzi scheme is clear proof of the danger that deceptive ads pose to our society.
According to him, henceforth, every advert content must be reviewed and approved by ARCON before they are published on any platform or medium.
Emphasising that it is the duty of ARCON to make sure all ads align with regulatory standards, he maintained that misleading advertisements which misrepresent facts, omit crucial information, or exploit vulnerable Nigerians would no longer be tolerated.
Lekan further reiterated that social media platforms fall under its regulatory oversight, therefore, influencers and content creators who refuse to obtain prior approval will be risking investigations and potential sanctions from the Advertising Offences Tribunal.
“Such tragedies show the importance of vetting advertising materials for honesty, transparency, and compliance with ethical standards before dissemination,” he said.
To assure the audience of effective enforcement, Lekan announced that a special compliance task force has been established to track adverts across all platforms and quickly report non-compliant content.
“We urge the public to also support this initiative by reporting any advertisement that appears deceptive or suspicious,” he added.
The council’s regulatory authority received further backing when the Federal High Court in Lagos reaffirmed ARCON’s power to oversee advertising across all media channels, including the ever-vital social media.
