The Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria has warned advertisers against promoting money rituals and other disgusting contents in the country.
Besides,the body said the era of flying advert messages on social media which promotes social vices such as money rituals and unnatural body enhancement (breast enlargement) has come to an end.
The APCON Registrar, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, who spoke at a press conference in Lagos,said digital media had become a safe haven for unscrupulous elements to publicise advertising messages which violate the laws guiding the practice in Nigeria.
He said APCON had been empowered by the National Assembly to clamp down on the promoters of practices that denigrate the professional practice of advertising.
He added: “With the increase of digital media activities in Nigeria and accessibility of online media platforms, we have been faced with a new threat of unethical and provocative advertising and marketing communication materials which have every potential of inflaming religious crisis, moral decadence and misleading information when allowed to thrive with attendant negative effect on the country, its economy and value system.”
“The advent of the Internet and new media, characterised with social networking sites such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc., has revolutionised communication globally. All the giant tech and primary digital media platforms owners such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc have been exploring the Nigeria digital media space with all sort of advertisements some of which are in violation of the Nigerian Code of Advertising Practice, pre-exposure vetting and ethical requirements of an advertisement.”
He warned online platforms (websites, blogs) as well as social media influencers to desist from promoting content in contravention of its laid down canons to avoid punitive measures.