The Nation Newspaper

Tag: challenges

  • Buhari’s top five challenges

    Buhari’s top five challenges

    As Nigeria prepares for the May 29, 2015 hand-over of the federal government to the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, Remi Adelowo and Sunday Oguntola spoke with some top professionals and politicians across the country on what should constitute the top five priorities of Buhari’s government

    Never has Nigerians been so expectant. Across the length and breathe of the country, the people say, with so much conviction, that the in-coming government of Muhammadu Buhari has the magic wand to solve the multiple socio-economic and political problems of the country.

    Even Buhari, the President-Elect himself, aware of the high expectations, has expressed hope that he and his team will not disappoint the millions of the suffering masses who voted for him and his team in spite of all odds and have been waiting so passionately for his emergence as the president. He has as a result identified areas he intends to pay special and immediate attention as soon as he resumes as the substantive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his response to several groups that have paid him visits and have presented issues they would want his government to tackle, Buhari identified three outstanding areas of top priority. They are insecurity, unemployment and corruption. As he puts it to one of the groups that visited him: “We have to get the issue of the economy right to make sure the jobs are made available and we should try and kill corruption before corruption kills Nigeria.”

    Other concerned stakeholders, including world leaders, political and economic leaders in the country have also offered areas the in-coming government should place top and immediate priority.

    Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for example, said Buhari administration should capitalise on the goodwill of his election in his first 100 days in office to take drastic decisions that will impact positively on the economy in the long run.

    Blair, who was represented by Lord Mandelson at a two-day policy dialogue on the implementation of the agenda for change organised by the Policy Research and Strategy Directorate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, said some of the decisions that require to be made immediately include to drastically overhaul the oil sector, reposition the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and eliminate the corruption in the sector.

    Nigerian leaders that have so far offered their preferred priorities include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor of Osun State and Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Obasanjo, who constituted his own think-tank to find solution to the problems of Nigeria, would want Buhari to consider education, power, economy, security and infrastructure as top priorities. The report of the committee he set up was recently submitted to Buhari by the committee’s Vice Chairman and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Kalu Idika Kalu.

    While Aregbesola listed insecurity, hunger, unemployment, decayed infrastructure and infrastructure as preferred top priorities, Dangote listed unemployment, increased power generation and corruption.

    Other leaders and professionals who spoke with The Nation during the week also offered their preferred priorities.

     

     

  • Challenges before the 8th Senate

    All my life, I have always been attracted to public office. When I decided to run for public office, I was concerned about the poverty level in the land, and the inability of the federal, state and local governments to function at the level they ought to. In seeking public office, I looked at the national, state and local governments’ budgets. I tried to understand why Nigeria was not as developed as it ought to be. And what I saw was shocking and very alarming. Those of us in the private sector understand how we should run a company, and things we should do and the ones we shouldn’t do.

    At the federal budget, a couple of things shook me. For instance, one percent of the federal budget is spent on pilgrims for both Muslims and Christians; three percent is spent for the National Assembly for 469 people; 30 percent is spent on 1.2 million civil servants; 88 percent is spent on recurrent expenditure while only 12 percent is spent on capital expenditure.

    State governments have no money. Most states in this country today, if they were to be companies, they would have closed shop. And no company will lend them money. The federal government inclusive. To say that we are broke is an understatement. A few things must happen to enable us grow the economy, and we must shrink the way we spend money in this country.

    The problem facing this country is not about the North versus the South, neither is it about Christianity versus Islam or APC versus PDP. Rather,the problem is ‘Right versus Wrong”. I was interviewed by a magazine recently, and they asked me about the problem of the North-east and South-south. I replied that the issue with the North-east is not about religion and that of the South-south is underdevelopment. It’s very simple, we are a small minority of people, the leadership of Nigeria, consuming all the resources of my people and leaving the rest of us in abject poverty.

    That will not work. We must learn to be humble, learn to preserve what we have and learn also to be kind for the rest of us to have what to eat, and our children to go to school; providing health care facilities for everyone; education for the children, job creation and infrastructure development for our people. You don’t understand why young men of today have access to an AK-47 to kill us because we do not provide for them. We pay no attention to the least of us.

    In our responses, we want to be living large; have more advisers, buy bullet-proof cars and have more bodyguards. That will not work. We must come together and understand that we must all grow and develop together as a people. Anyone you leave behind, you have created a problem for the rest of us. It’s not enough to send your children to study in Switzerland, and buy your houses in Dubai, live a life of extreme wealth and you expect those you left behind to clap for you.

    They don’t do what I call the NTV generation. The past presidents could not shut down Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and you said they can shut down a hundred million people? You think, you are smart and your lifestyle is not being watched by those you govern? When you seek public office, you seek it to lead by example.

    You don’t seek public office to play lord over the people who voted you into office. The world has changed, and we must change too. It is not just talking about change, we must have real change. And for us to change, we must understand what drives our people. There is too much hunger in the land.

    So, let’s make a deal. Let’s say for instance , to reduce expenditure, only the President and the Vice President will fly First Class, while governors and ministers fly Business Class. When you travel abroad you don’t need to lodge in a $4000 hotel paid with the taxpayers money. I have never stayed in a hotel that is more than $300 in my life, not because I cannot afford it but when I think, at the end of the month, I must pay my workers, pay taxes, how do I justify staying in a $4000 hotel room? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

    I have never flown First Class in my life. As a young man I flew Business Class and I do so, on purpose. I have a choice but I choose to fly Business Class which is the right thing to do. You sit here and talk about nationalism and patriotism, and the lights are turned off, you spend over N1.5 million traveling to London. That amount of money will feed a whole family for a whole year. It makes no sense. The problem in Nigeria is the rich versus the poor. The crisis we have in this country is “a class warfare.”

    In the next 35 years, if we do not control our consumption behavour, the emerging generation will rise against us. The world has changed but we have not changed. When we go abroad to look for aids, in Britain, the man we speak to, my counterparts in the British parliament go to work by train and taxi.

    Nigeria is too poor for our leaders to act like multi-billionaires, and Nigeria is too rich for the people to be so poor. I don’t like what is happening in the power sector as well as the energy sector. I do not wish to buy petrol and I do not wish to go to any gas station ever again. I want to drive a car powered by the sun. I asked Kia Motors to bring electrically powered car into this country. The reason I asked them to bring in the electrical car is because we need to be free.

    In the Senate, I’m going to sponsor a bill that will help every poor home in this country so that they can survive. I need your support, if my colleagues say no, you say yes. I want you people to tell my colleagues to create a billion dollar fund to have solar power invented in every home in Nigeria, so that every child can watch television and listen to the radio. Every Nigerian has a choice as a Nigerian and as a politician. You are either a producer or you are a consumer.

     

    l0000•Bruce is Senator-elect representing Bayelsa East Senatorial District and Chairman of the Silverbird Group

  • Challenges before UNILAG’s SUG

    On March  25, 2015, students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) voted in a new executive of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), which was proscribed ten years ago following violent protests by students of the institution. Students, in 2005, vandalised school properties, including the residence of the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oye Ibidapo-Obe.

    The reinstatement of the union by the Prof Rahamon Bello-led administration seems to have come at a crucial point, especially amid challenges facing the institution at the moment. The university is blighted by erratic power supply, which the school authority has explained away to be technical problems in the power distribution system of Eko Electricity Distribution Company. Consequently, agitations are pouring in from various quarters, calling for decisive actions from respective authorities to tackle the problems.

    The school management, on April 29, this year sent informed students of its awareness of the hitches caused by the power crisis and efforts being made to find lasting solutions. In a statement signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Dr Taiwo Ipaye, the management said the institution was powered by generators.

    Despite the efforts of the school authority to supply electricity, UNILAG has been characterised by inadequate water supply, leading to incessant protests by students and calls for postponement of examinations by a fraction of the students.

    In the face of these challenges, the student’s union has found itself unable to organise the students under the same umbrella and speak with one voice. Some students believe the executive of the body led by the President, Martins Abiodun, is not ready to take a pro-student stand. Until recently, the entire students’ union government had been disturbingly quiet regarding issues of electricity and water supply. The only information from the body was a message through its Public Relations Officer (PRO) to students informing them of an agreement with the school authority to supply electricity between 7pm and 10am daily. The said agreement was not honoured by the university, which created doubts in the minds of some students that the message was a hoax and the students’ union did not meet with the school authority.

    However, on May 3, the union president, through its PRO, sent out messages to students, saying the body will stage a massive protest if the agitations of students were not addressed  within 24 hours. The agitations include but not limited to, constant power and water supply to all hostels, adequate internet services in all the halls of residence and extension of examination date. The union later shelved its decision to many of the students were not with this.

    The student body lacks a means of effectively communicating with the students, making one of its duties as a link between the school authority and the students more difficult. The students rely on social media and hearsay to get information from the body. Hence, most students feel disconnected and believe that the era of fighting for their rights without a student body is not over yet. For us, this is unacceptable. Also, the seeming silence and anonymity of the body when it matters seem to be causing a feeling of distrust between students and the union.

    UNILAG students have been known to have, over the years, staged peaceful protests effectively without the presence of a student body. For this reason, students have taken it upon themselves to stage protests against the school authority. No fewer than two protests have been staged in about a month. In all these, the union has found itself dwindling in popularity. A majority of the students now believe the union is anti-student and that it cannot agitate for their interests.

    There have been several calls on the students to stage a protest on May 4, to agitate for the postponement of examination by a week – the grounds for the request include the electricity situation, several holidays that characterised the semester, which have incapacitated many lecturers to complete the syllabus for the semester.

    Eventually, two days later, some aggrieved students staged a peaceful protest within the university campus, demanding the postponement of their first semester examination which has been scheduled to commence on May 11.

    The students lamented that the erratic power supply and scarcity of water on campus had hindered their preparation for the forthcoming examination. Students complained they find it increasingly hard to study in such difficult situations

    It is, however, interesting to note that some students of the institution including members of union were not in support of the postponement of their forthcoming examination, noting that the epileptic power supply and water crisis on campus, were not enough reasons for the examination to be postponed.

    One of such students is the PRO of university’s Geoscience Students Association, Oladeni Ajibola Ibrahim, who stressed that neither the epileptic power supply nor the holidays are enough reasons to not hold examinations as scheduled. He called on the union to organise a debate on the issues.

    A student who simply identified himself as Femi said: “the agitations are baseless, nobody wants examinations to be postponed.”

    Another challenge faced by the students’ union body has to do with  suspicion and division among its members and those of the union parliament. Some parliament members are accusing the union president of incompetence and lack of capacity to protect interests of the university students. One of them, Timi Akegbejo from the Political Science department, accused the union president of ineptitude and described him as a “colossal failure”.

    The challenges faced by this union are not peculiar but can be surmounted. The body must redeem its battered image before the eyes of students and make decisive steps to embrace pro-students’ unionism. They must communicate effectively with students so as to let them feel their presence and keep them abreast of information regarding their welfare.  The body should unite its house and make unanimous decisions. In the same vein, internal conflicts must not be allowed to degenerate as this could lead to division amongst students.

    It is quite apparent that the fear of facing yet another ban is affecting the union, making it more or less debilitated  to protect the interests of students. The union executive must realise that they cannot continue to remain silent on matters that affect the welfare of the students. Otherwise, their appointment pales into insignificance. UNILAG students want a vibrant union that will be able to fight for their interests and protect their welfare all the time. This is not negotiable.

    And for a union that just bounced back from the throes of a ban, much cannot be achieved by the current administration with the way and manner they have set out. Notwithstanding, the executive must work hard to lay the foundation of unionism on campus. It must however thread carefully. The world is watching.

     

    • Kawthar, 300-Level Petroleum and Gas Engineering, UNILAG
  • My platform is to solve youths’ challenges

    My platform is to solve youths’ challenges

    Olaniyi Ayorinde is a final year student of Mass Communication at Kwara State University (KWASU). He is the author of The Entrepreneur Clout and founder of Inspire Nigeria Project, which inspires youths through social media. He tells HAMEED MURITALA (Mass Communication) what inspired the project.

    Would you tell us what Inspire Nigeria Project is all about?

    The project is an initiative the country needs. I realised we needed a page from which people could get inspiration on social media apart from the usual ritual of socialising. Not everyone can be Michael Zuckerberg, but I believe we can make the best out of the massive idea he created. So, I started the page on Facebook and titled it “Inspire Nigeria Project”. As the name connotes, it is designed as a platform where youths can meet and inspire themselves irrespective of cultural, social and religious status. The response I got in a week made me understand there is power in the social media.

    What would you say inspired this project?

    The inspiration is to help provide emotional need of youths and try our best to see that we effect solutions to problems using the social media as tool. Youths have a lot of things bothering them. Some believe that when their problems are shared, there is the possibility they could be mocked. So, they keep their challenges to themselves and this causes great damage to their minds. I wanted a platform I would use to help people overcome their challenges.

    What are the programmes you have done since you started this project?

    The first project I did was the “Social Inspire Challenge” which required people to send in a selfie with the hashtag #inspirenigeriaproject. We know how much Nigerians like pictures and we felt we could as well make that as part of our strategies to engage them.

     

     

  • Overcoming challenges

    Overcoming challenges

    Mountain means so many things to many people. Understanding and the definition assigned to mountain by individual determines the perception they have towards it. Mountain in this sense is not the geographical feature as found in Kilimanjaro or Idanre, but rather a figurative expression that connotes life challenges.

    In this short 60 pages book, Mr. Ayodeji Ayopo, takes a cursory look at challenges of life and how one can turn them to testimony.

    Each chapter of the book is launched with a relevant scriptural reference that tallies with issue being addressed therein. Through this strategy, the author wants readers to draw inspiration from the person in the reference. Beyond readers drawing personal inspiration, the author equally went extra mile to give his own interpretation of what the lessons readers should take away. He closes each chapter with prayer points for readers to take to the throne of grace in order to secure heavenly relief. One cannot but conclude that the author is not interested in academic exercise but fruitful spiritual endeavour that would make readers to appropriate prophetic messages of the chapter through prayers.

    The book is divided into short 30 chapters.  If subjected to critical analysis, it appears that some chapters were dedicated to what I term transformational prophetic declarations such as from ‘pain to joy’, ‘bondage to freedom’, ‘deformity to wholeness’ etc. While there are other chapters that focus on direct proclamation as in ‘weep no more’, ‘be hopeful’, ‘you will be fruitful’, ‘God will locate you’. Both sides of the divides carry messages of comfort and hope, which if apply with the accompanying prayer points, would turn around the fortune of anybody.

    The author’s penchant for prophetic declaration has to be seen in the light of call of God upon his life to expose believers to prophetic insights on how to live as God ordained people.

    Written is simple sentences devoid of ambiguity and rhetoric, it will make a good reading for those who have come to situation of asking question such as ‘why me’, ‘I can’t understand’ due to complex issues surrounding their lives. The compact nature of the book makes it easy to read, particularly for those who are scared of volume. Its arrangement and choice of font in typesetting is catchy and eye friendly.

    Through this small but powerful book, Ayodeji Ayopo, has provided enough arsenal for anyone who choose to really confront his or her mountain without much ado.

  • APCON: Surmounting the challenges of reforms

    APCON: Surmounting the challenges of reforms

    Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Chairman, Uffot Udeme has resumed duties. It is expected that he will continue with the reform started by his predecessor, Lolu Akinwunmi, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    With the inauguration of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) board penultimate week, much is expected of it in the ongoing reform in the industry which has been gazetted by the Federal Government.

    Its immediate past chairman, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, is optimistic that the new council, chaired by SO&U Group Managing Director Mr. Uffot Udeme, would ensure that the fifth advertising code is strictly enforced. The code is to standardise advertising practice in line with best global practices.

    There are fears that the code may be circumvented by some interest groups that are picking issues with foreign shareholding in Nigeria advertising business concerns.

    Those in the reform vanguard believe it will protect professionals from losing their jobs, enhance local content and talent development and prevent over westernisation of creative ideas. But, critics believe it is a protectionist reform that would not grow the industry.

    Expressing his confidence in the new council to sustain the reform, Akinwunmi said: “Even when he (Udeme) was not the chairman, he did. He is a thoroughbred professional and was the president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). He understands what the reform is about and he will be well advised by the council.

    “Built into the council structure are also checks and balances that every chairman must respect. I should know. And at any rate, the reform status is definite, has been gazetted and presented to the President-in-Council in Abuja. But we don’t foresee any challenges with the new chairman and Council.”

     

    Road to reform

    Akinwunmi said the birth of the reform came with a price, noting what he went through while in office. He said: “First, when I was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 for a three-year tenure, I had been advised by one or two very senior practitioners that I should simply concentrate on the traditional role of vetting adverts, and endeavour to avoid potentially troublesome issues like the constant disagreements between the two major breweries, among others. I however disagreed because I felt the economy and the industry were at a stage where we needed to strongly intervene and strengthen the structures of APCON, so that the federal regulator would be further empowered to play its role more effectively, and do more than just vetting and setting syllabuses for higher institutions. This led us to embark on the review of the fourth code, which culminated in the fifth Code. The work on the Code demanded a lot of tact, diplomacy, political adroitness and the need to manage many interests.”

     

    Foreign interests’ fear

    But it was not a smooth journey for the council. He said: “From when we started, foreign interests that did not want it attacked us ferociously. They imagined that if we were able to put the reform in place, it would stop them from taking over the Nigerian advertising business. At some point, I was reported to the National Assembly that I was using my position in APCON to stop certain foreign interests from operating in Nigeria.

    “I had to appear at the Senate to clear this. Then they reported me to the then Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who investigated the allegation and found it to be untrue. Then they went to the Nigerian Investment Promotions Commission with the untruth that I was stopping foreign investors from coming into Nigeria. We showed the Commission proof that this was also not true.

    “Then they went to the Corporate Affairs Commission with the same lie and we dispelled it. It took the Minister of Information hosting an all-party meeting in Abuja, where they were warned to desist from the campaign of calumny against APCON and I.”

     

    How the reform sailed through

    Despite the challenges, he said APCON was able to review the advertising code and implemented it as the fifth code with support from the sectoral groups in APCON council: “The Council successfully implemented the Fifth Code Review following an industry-wide consultation through the APCON Committee on Advertising Practice Reforms (ACAPR) from 2010. The implementation commenced from January 2013,” he said.

    Akinwunmi noted that through Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), vetting of application rose by over 70 per cent and compliance level by over 75 per cent. “Vetting and approval of advertising materials is one of the core responsibilities of the Council through the ASP,” he said, adding that political parties also comply. “During the period, vetting of application rose by over 70 per cent and compliance level by over 75 per cent. I am happy to report that even the various political parties send their materials in for vetting. While we still experience some leakages, the awareness is higher, and compliance is more regular,” he said.

     

    To APCON, NBC, CPC and NAFDAC connection

    Akinwunmi said one of the biggest challenges faced by the drivers of the reform is the exposure of uncensored tradomedical advertisements, promising unsubstantiated reliefs for some ailments and diseases. “During the period, we commenced discussions with NAFDAC for a collaborative relationship, which was to ensure that all tradomedical advertising materials were simultaneously vetted by the three bodies. My council could not conclude the project, and hopefully, the next council will continue where we stopped. He said the council worked  closely with the Consumer Protection Council in ensuring that sales promotions were honest, and not abused, delivering on all the promises to the consumer.

    The council through partnership agreement with the International Centre for Alcoholic Policy (ICAP), Washington, United States, he said, was able to address issues relating to regulation of marketing of alcoholic and beverage firms.

    “This has been one of the most successful projects undertaken by my council. We went into a partnership agreement with the International Centre for Alcoholic Policy (ICAP), Washington, USA for the effective management of communication materials on alcohol beverage. Through this channel, APCON and the Beer Sectorial Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria successfully hosted the three international seminars and conferences in Lagos and Abuja, which involved delegates from many parts of Africa. The Beer Sectorial Group of MAN also sought our assistance and support for the provision of technical support for the setting up of it Self Regulatory (SR) Secretariat. Hopefully, APCON will hold a similar summit with the telecoms operators and other stakeholders within the industry to review overall communication and especially tactical campaigns and promotions,” he explained.

     

    Professional forums

    To deepen the reform in the corporate communication settings, Akinwunmi said APCON also initiated and hosted various media and brand journalists fora, as well as interactive sessions with the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) to update them on the expectations and responsibilities of APCON.

    Also, he said APCON hosted a joint intervention through an Outdoor Forum involving the Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN), other regulators and stakeholders.

  • APCON: Surmounting the challenges of reforms

    APCON: Surmounting the challenges of reforms

    Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Chairman, Uffot Udeme has resumed duties. It is expected that he will continue with the reform started by his predecessor, Lolu Akinwunmi, reports ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

    With the inauguration of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) board penultimate week, much is expected of it in the ongoing reform in the industry which has been gazetted by the Federal Government.

    Its immediate past chairman, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, is optimistic that the new council, chaired by SO&U Group Managing Director Mr. Uffot Udeme, would ensure that the fifth advertising code is strictly enforced. The code is to standardise advertising practice in line with best global practices.

    There are fears that the code may be circumvented by some interest groups that are picking issues with foreign shareholding in Nigeria advertising business concerns.

    Those in the reform vanguard believe it will protect professionals from losing their jobs, enhance local content and talent development and prevent over westernisation of creative ideas. But, critics believe it is a protectionist reform that would not grow the industry.

    Expressing his confidence in the new council to sustain the reform, Akinwunmi said: “Even when he (Udeme) was not the chairman, he did. He is a thoroughbred professional and was the president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). He understands what the reform is about and he will be well advised by the council.

    “Built into the council structure are also checks and balances that every chairman must respect. I should know. And at any rate, the reform status is definite, has been gazetted and presented to the President-in-Council in Abuja. But we don’t foresee any challenges with the new chairman and Council.”

     

    Road to reform

    Akinwunmi said the birth of the reform came with a price, noting what he went through while in office. He said: “First, when I was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 for a three-year tenure, I had been advised by one or two very senior practitioners that I should simply concentrate on the traditional role of vetting adverts, and endeavour to avoid potentially troublesome issues like the constant disagreements between the two major breweries, among others. I however disagreed because I felt the economy and the industry were at a stage where we needed to strongly intervene and strengthen the structures of APCON, so that the federal regulator would be further empowered to play its role more effectively, and do more than just vetting and setting syllabuses for higher institutions. This led us to embark on the review of the fourth code, which culminated in the fifth Code. The work on the Code demanded a lot of tact, diplomacy, political adroitness and the need to manage many interests.”

     

    Foreign interests’ fear

    But it was not a smooth journey for the council. He said: “From when we started, foreign interests that did not want it attacked us ferociously. They imagined that if we were able to put the reform in place, it would stop them from taking over the Nigerian advertising business. At some point, I was reported to the National Assembly that I was using my position in APCON to stop certain foreign interests from operating in Nigeria.

    “I had to appear at the Senate to clear this. Then they reported me to the then Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who investigated the allegation and found it to be untrue. Then they went to the Nigerian Investment Promotions Commission with the untruth that I was stopping foreign investors from coming into Nigeria. We showed the Commission proof that this was also not true.

    “Then they went to the Corporate Affairs Commission with the same lie and we dispelled it. It took the Minister of Information hosting an all-party meeting in Abuja, where they were warned to desist from the campaign of calumny against APCON and I.”

     

    How the reform sailed through

    Despite the challenges, he said APCON was able to review the advertising code and implemented it as the fifth code with support from the sectoral groups in APCON council: “The Council successfully implemented the Fifth Code Review following an industry-wide consultation through the APCON Committee on Advertising Practice Reforms (ACAPR) from 2010. The implementation commenced from January 2013,” he said.

    Akinwunmi noted that through Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), vetting of application rose by over 70 per cent and compliance level by over 75 per cent. “Vetting and approval of advertising materials is one of the core responsibilities of the Council through the ASP,” he said, adding that political parties also comply. “During the period, vetting of application rose by over 70 per cent and compliance level by over 75 per cent. I am happy to report that even the various political parties send their materials in for vetting. While we still experience some leakages, the awareness is higher, and compliance is more regular,” he said.

     

    To APCON, NBC, CPC and NAFDAC connection

    Akinwunmi said one of the biggest challenges faced by the drivers of the reform is the exposure of uncensored tradomedical advertisements, promising unsubstantiated reliefs for some ailments and diseases. “During the period, we commenced discussions with NAFDAC for a collaborative relationship, which was to ensure that all tradomedical advertising materials were simultaneously vetted by the three bodies. My council could not conclude the project, and hopefully, the next council will continue where we stopped. He said the council worked  closely with the Consumer Protection Council in ensuring that sales promotions were honest, and not abused, delivering on all the promises to the consumer.

    The council through partnership agreement with the International Centre for Alcoholic Policy (ICAP), Washington, United States, he said, was able to address issues relating to regulation of marketing of alcoholic and beverage firms.

    “This has been one of the most successful projects undertaken by my council. We went into a partnership agreement with the International Centre for Alcoholic Policy (ICAP), Washington, USA for the effective management of communication materials on alcohol beverage. Through this channel, APCON and the Beer Sectorial Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria successfully hosted the three international seminars and conferences in Lagos and Abuja, which involved delegates from many parts of Africa. The Beer Sectorial Group of MAN also sought our assistance and support for the provision of technical support for the setting up of it Self Regulatory (SR) Secretariat. Hopefully, APCON will hold a similar summit with the telecoms operators and other stakeholders within the industry to review overall communication and especially tactical campaigns and promotions,” he explained.

     

    Professional forums

    To deepen the reform in the corporate communication settings, Akinwunmi said APCON also initiated and hosted various media and brand journalists fora, as well as interactive sessions with the Association of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) to update them on the expectations and responsibilities of APCON.

    Also, he said APCON hosted a joint intervention through an Outdoor Forum involving the Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN), other regulators and stakeholders.

  • Prepare for challenges, traditional media managers told

    As growth continues to slow down for the traditional media, the Managing Director of MediaShare Nigeria, a media strategy agency, Mr. Dele Odugbemi, has urged media managers of traditional media, such as newspapers, magazines and television, to prepare for the challenges in the sector.

    He said the digital media is increasing in audience size while that of the traditional media is drifting in favour of digital, a matrix, he said, advertisers use to measure where they could put their advert money.

    Odugbemi said the point of connection and engagement point, transaction point are getting closer  and that any media owner who fails to realise this would lose alot of income because advertisers are spending on where the convergence is stronger.

    He said while the traditional media groan under production cost, duplication cost, distribution cost, and dwindling readership, the new media cost almost nothing to produce and yet makes the bulk of the advertising budget especially in technological advance economy.

    “The product cost in new media is down, duplication cost is gone, and distribution cost is gone,” he said.

    He said these channels had been replaced by computer and the creator of messages get across the audience without spending much.

    He said media owners should realise that what they are selling to deserve advert money is the audience, which is measurable in social media than the traditional media.

    He, however, commended the level of adoption of digital media in the broadcast industry and charged the print media to move fast to digital in other not to lose its audience to social media which is fast enjoying growing patronage from advertisers while the print advertising budget is reducing.

    Meanwhile, a report stated that in 2013 year, the traditional media had 5 to 6 times as much impact as social media; in 2014 this dropped to some 3.5 times.

    Globally, it has been recorded that print advert is dropping.

    According to a report, New York Times Co. shares fell after the company forecast a decline in fourth-quarter advertising revenue last year, reflecting the challenges it faces in relying on the Internet for growth.

    “ Ad sales will drop at a mid-single-digit rate from a year earlier, compared with a third-quarter decrease of less than one percent while circulation revenue will increase at a similar rate to the 1.3 percent reported in the third quarter,” the Times said.

    Also, in Nigeria, experts said the adoption of online version of the hard copies of newspapers is fast gaining momentum but advised media owners to make their news content appeal to the new generation of news consumers to avoid losing the market to bloggers, gossip sites among others.

  • Nigeria can overcome challenges, says HID Awolowo

    Nigeria can overcome challenges, says HID Awolowo

    WIFE of the late Premier of the Western Region Mrs. Hannah Awolowo has said Nigeria can overcome its challenges if it uses its human and natural resources judiciously.

    Her daughter, Mrs. Oyebola Oyediran, who represented her, spoke yesterday at the inauguration of a new printing machine of the African Newspapers of Nigeria, publishers of Nigerian Tribune, in Ibadan.

    Mrs. Awolowo, who chairs the company, said it’s not easy to run a business successfully in Nigeria in this challenging period.

    “As for the management and workers of our company, you are the best in this industry. I am proud of you. Today’s importance lies in the fact that the mustard seed planted by my husband and I has become an indestructible oak.

    “I am happy that Nigerian Tribune at 65 is soaring higher in my lifetime and is still considered relevant at this crucial moment in our national history.

    “This has made today’s inauguration unique. I sincerely believe I will have a fantastic story to share with Papa whenever God desires I see him,” she said

    Mrs Awolowo thanked the shareholders for their support and patience, praying that they will continue to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi said the inauguration is a milestone achievement for the newspaper.

    According to him, Nigerian Tribune is not only for the Awolowo family but for all Yoruba sons and daughter.

    “Awolowo is a name that is known for greatness and quality and that is what Nigerian Tribune portrays. Let me commend the management of this newspaper.

    “Since the test-run of the new machine, the layout and the quality of the newspaper have greatly improved. I want to commend Mama Awolowo for maintaining the standard of the newspaper.” Ajimobi said.

  • Enugu APC candidate challenges Ugwuanyi to debate

    The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr. Okey Ezea, has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to a debate on issues concerning governance.

    He spoke in a statement by his Media Adviser, Obinna Nze.

    The APC standard-bearer said previous efforts by the Church in Nsukka and other organisations to hold a public debate among the governorship candidates have been rebuffed by Ugwuanyi, whom he described as “an imposition by Governor Sullivan Chime despite that he has nothing to offer.”

    Ezea noted: “In a free and fair election, I will win because what Ndigbo need now is a positive change. They want a person who can perform, not a continuation of the impunity which the PDP has been known for since 1999.”

    He said APC’s presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, is the agent of change Nigerians need to ensure order, integrity, good governance, employment, security and a corrupt-free society.