ITPAN supports FG’s moves on adverts placement in foreign stations

Independent Television Producers Association of Nigeria (ITPAN) has commended the efforts of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, and his ministry to refine and ensure compliance by all players and stakeholders in the nation’s broadcasting landscape to Nigeria Broadcasting code.

ITPAN, in a statement by Adeyinka Oduniyi, its  president, said the protective activities and actions of the current administration in a global village market will sustain local content quota and make creative economy professionals and various skilled Nigerians thrive and productive.

The Association was reacting to a statement credited to the Minister on the payment of fines for advertisements placed on foreign-owned media channels and production of content abroad by advertisers.

The minister was also quoted to have said that advertising materials promoting Nigerian brands must be directed and authored by Nigerians inside the country and that brands that produce their advertising materials abroad will pay a fine of N100, 000 each time such adverts are run.

ITPAN in backing the minister’s position, said: “It is noteworthy and heartwarming to put on record the determination of this administration, indeed the Ministry of Information and Culture, to ensure compliance by all players and stakeholders in the Nigerian broadcasting landscape with the letters and the spirit of the Nigeria Broadcasting code, particularly with regards to the local content requirement which today is accepted and being implemented globally.

“In this instance, over the last two decades, we watched helplessly and hopelessly, the advert agencies becoming advert placement agencies and the destructive consequences of the decision to outsource advertising material production to foreign producers.

“Or travelling overseas to shoot advertising materials and the attendant loss of enormous opportunity in the creative industry and economy as well as the worsening effect on the business, previously enjoyed by local Nigerian television producers and practitioners in allied field.

“Indeed, it has been responsible for the near-collapse of the audio-visual units in most of the advertising agencies in Nigeria.

“Most importantly, if indeed the world has become a global village then it’s worthy of note that protective activities and actions like this one are practised even in the developed world.

“For us, what we see is the government saying is that henceforth and in the spirit of local content quotas as practised globally, advertisers and advertising companies should be law-abiding, by channelling reasonable resources in the creative economy so professionals and various allied skilled Nigerians can thrive and be productive.”