The Federal Government has urged advertising practitioners to adapt to emerging technologies and the shifting landscape of the advertising ecosystem.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, made this call at the just concluded 2024 National Advertising Conference in Abuja, themed “Navigating the Shifts: Technology, Culture and New Business Models.”

Idris emphasized that the advertising sector’s changing dynamics necessitate this shift, as technology has profoundly impacted the industry. “Digitalization has revolutionized advertising, enabling personalization, real-time engagement, and greater accountability through analytics,” he noted.

For the advertising practitioners to fit into the new and emerging ecosystem, the Minister said “this new era of advertising calls for adaptability, creativity, and a clear-eyed view of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

“As we meet here in 2024, the industry is evolving unprecedentedly. Technology, the rise of new business models, and shifts in cultural norms are reshaping how we engage, persuade, and inspire audiences. Let me acknowledge the profound impact of technology on our industry.

“Digitalization has revolutionized advertising, allowing for personalization, real-time engagement, and greater accountability through analytics.
Social media, artificial intelligence, and big data have created channels for brands to reach audiences in more meaningful and relevant ways than ever before.

“The introduction of a scientific-based audience measurement system is also a transformative development for Nigeria’s advertising industry.

Accurate and reliable data on audience engagement and demographics is essential for advertisers, broadcasters, and marketers to effectively reach their target audiences and optimize their campaigns. Our industry must embrace these shifts, celebrating our culture in all its diversity while setting standards for responsible communication.”

However, as they navigate this technological landscape, he urged advertisers to remain vigilant about issues like data privacy, cybersecurity, and the spread of misinformation and fake news.
“Technology is a powerful tool, but one that requires ethical responsibility.

As a government, we are committed to promoting policies that protect both consumers and businesses, thereby ensuring a digital ecosystem that promotes trust, transparency, and accountability.

“Advertising reflects and, in many ways, shapes culture. As our society becomes increasingly interconnected and diverse, advertisers face the challenge of creating messages that resonate across a broad spectrum of demographics, languages, and values.

“Today’s Nigerian audience is young, dynamic, and incredibly discerning. They demand representation, authenticity, and social responsibility from the brands they choose to support. This calls for a new level of sensitivity and awareness in advertising.

“At the Ministry of Information and Nationality Orientation, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where Nigerian creatives and content producers can thrive, strengthening our cultural identity and enabling the stories of Nigeria to reach global audiences.”

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To remain competitive, advertising agencies and media companies need to be agile and open to experimentation. This means embracing partnerships, investing in continuous learning, and adapting strategies to stay relevant in a changing marketplace. The government, for our part, is committed to supporting a regulatory framework that encourages innovation, protects intellectual property, and provides an enabling environment for all players in this sector.

As we stand at the intersection of these shifts, the government’s role is clear. We must work in partnership with industry stakeholders to create policies that support innovation, safeguard consumer interests, and encourage the growth of a robust advertising sector that contributes meaningfully to our national economy.

“The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and other regulatory bodies have been actively engaged in setting standards that ensure fairness, transparency, and ethical practices in the industry. These policies are designed not to stifle creativity but to provide a framework where businesses can innovate responsibly.

“We are also actively promoting initiatives that encourage local content development, skill acquisition, and digital literacy within the advertising and creative industries. By building capacity and fostering an ecosystem where talent can flourish, we aim to position Nigeria as a leading hub for advertising and media in Africa and beyond.”

Quiting a Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) report, he said the advertising industry will be valued at N605 billion in 2023, adding that for every N1 spent on advertising, there is a multiplier effect of N16.5.

On the economy, Idris said the Tinubu administration has introduced crucial reforms aimed at improving the business environment, fostering innovation, and creating opportunities for industries to thrive. These reforms according to him, represent a vital step forward for Nigeria, and they seek to address challenges in infrastructure, financial inclusion, regulatory transparency, and economic diversification.

Earlier in her address, the Director General of ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo said new era of advertising calls for adaptability, as emerging technologies like IoT, Big Data, AI, Augmented realities, Robotics and others have triumphed new landscape to reach advertising audience in a more meaningful ways.

He said advertisers can no longer afford to do business in the old model and expect to remain relevant but prepare to shift to new era of advertising and adopt.new models driven by emerging technologies.
In his goodwill message, the National President of NIPR, Dr. Ike Neliaku said
the reputation gate of Nigeria had been left unmanned for too long, a responsibility NIPR has now taken up.

In addition, he said his organization is
working with ARCON and NBC and all the other organizations that are involved in matters of destination branding and global competitiveness.

“It is what we have to do for our country. Government cannot do this for us.
Because if our reputation is strong, our passports will be respected. If our reputation is weak, it’s like a weak currency, it’s like a weak bank account.

Delivering his Keynote Speech on the State of Nigerian Economy, the CEO of Nigerian NESG, Mr. Tayo Adeluju said “our journey in terms of economic trajectory has been defined by choices that business and political elite make since Nigeria came back to democracy in 1999.

“The current state of Nigerian economy was not created in the lat one year but over the last decades of successive mal administrations.

“I think in the last one year, everyone was ready to shake their head and say we’ve gone on an interesting route. However, the last one year was not created one year ago.
And our future will depend on the consensus in those choices. Nigeria prosecuted a decade of transformative growth in the first decade of our independence. In fact, the world brought us into a group called the Mint Group.

And the designation for the Mint Group was that these are future powerhouses. By 2025, they will join the top 20 economies in the world. In fact, it was that Mint designation that created the Vision 2020.”