The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), the statutory body responsible for vetting and ensuring the compliance of advertisements in Nigeria, has declared its readiness to face industry challenges head-on, even as it reaffirmed its commitment to upholding ethical advertising and safeguarding public interest.
Speaking at the ASP Stakeholders Forum held yesterday at the Sheba Events Centre in Lagos, the Chairman of the Panel, Dr. Emmanuel Agu, acknowledged the rising complexities in the advertising ecosystem, particularly with the digital media boom and proliferation of content across platforms. However, he assured stakeholders that the ASP is evolving to meet these challenges with proactive strategies and renewed regulatory vigor.
“The Panel is aware of the challenges that confront it and is taking deliberate steps to address them,” Dr. Agu stated in his presentation. “We are not oblivious to the current advertising realities, including the increasing volume of digital content and the corresponding need for rapid vetting processes.”
His presentation was a robust articulation of the ASP’s statutory responsibilities under the Nigerian Code of Advertising, which empowers it to ensure that all advertisements conform to laws of the Federation, the Code, and prevailing public sentiments and values. He re-emphasized ASP’s mandate of serving the best interest of the Nigerian public by ensuring that all advertising materials, especially those targeting children or vulnerable audiences, are honest, decent, legal, and truthful.
He noted that over the years, ASP had evolved from a reactive approval system to one with a broader watchdog role of addressing the full spectrum of communication messaging, especially in an era where “everyone is a content creator.”
Dr. Agu detailed the challenges ASP is facing, particularly in digital advertising. He pointed to the surge in social media-based content that often circumvents vetting processes, a trend that could endanger public trust and mislead consumers. “We have noted with concern the increasing deployment of digital content that bypasses proper regulatory checks. This is a danger to the advertising ecosystem and to public health and morality,” he warned.
He cited examples such as misleading product claims, unwholesome content, and illegal exposure of minors in ads as serious issues ASP is working to curb. One key area of concern raised was the unethical use of influencers and skit makers in content disguised as entertainment but functioning as unvetted advertisements.
To tackle these issues, Dr. Agu revealed that the ASP is considering a number of bold moves including leveraging technology, particularly AI, to enhance the speed and effectiveness of ad vetting and monitoring, strengthening collaboration with platform owners like Meta, brand custodians, and regulatory partners to ensure holistic enforcement of advertising standards; increasing awareness campaigns for industry players, especially in the influencer and digital marketing spaces, to understand their obligations under Nigerian advertising law, among others.
He also urged advertisers and agencies to understand that compliance is not optional. “If the message is meant to promote a product, service, or idea in the public domain, then it must pass through proper vetting,” he said.