In a mission to promote home grown talent and indigenous faces, the Association of Advertising Agency of Nigeria puts a ban on the use of white models and foreign voiceover artists in advertisement. Over the years, white models and foreign narrators have featured in Nigerian adverts causing brands to overlook local talent/faces in search for that foreign feel in their advertisement.
In an interview with The Times Magazine, Steven Babaeko, President of the Association of Advertising Agency of Nigeria stated “Ten to 20 years ago if you checked the commercials, I would say they were almost 50/50 in terms of foreign faces and all the voiceovers were British accents, people will tell you, ‘There are about 200 million of us. Are you telling me you could not find indigenous models for this commercial?”
“All advertisements, advertising, and marketing communications materials targeted or exposed on the Nigerian advertising space are to use only Nigerian models and voice-over artists,” The Advertising Regulatory Council Of Nigeria (ARCON) states. “Advertisers, advertisement agencies, media houses, the advertising community, and the general public are hereby enjoined to take note.”
The AAAN has also placed a fine for every white/foreign model used in any advertisement. Taking effect on the 1st of October, advertisers are to pay a #100,000 fine per foreign model used in their advertisement. This ban placed, is to help the Nigerian creatives look inward to help boost the exportation of home grown talents and boost opportunities for local models.
But does this ban put Nigeria at the forefront of lack of media representation and diversity?