Steve Babaeko

The about- to- be sworn-in government at the centre has been charged to quickly inaugurate a new governing council for the apex regulatory body in the nation’s integrated marketing Communications space, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), to enable the body function effectively.

Making the appeal in a chat with Brands Track, in Lagos, recently, the President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mr. Steve Babaeko, stated that being without a council for close to eight years had been one of the challenges holding the agency down from functioning optimally.

While commending the federal government for its prompt appointment of Dr  Lekan Fadolapo, as the agency’s Director General,  at the expiration of the term of former  Registrar, Alhaji Bello Kankarofi, the X3M Idea boss urged the government to quickly inaugurate a new council to enable it complement some of the reforms the  regulatory agency had embarked upon in the past few months.

He however commended the agency’s new Director General for his determination to sanitise and reform the industry, so as to make it globally competitive.

“It’s rather painful that for the eight years of this administration, we’ve not been able to get the ARCON council off the ground.

“Kudos for appointing the DG, who has been doing exceedingly well. Bút for ARCON to be able to function in full capacity, there must be a chairman, and there must be a council. I believe that should be the first priority of the new government, to ensure that ARCON  is in place,” the AAAN boss stated.

He also urged the new government to find urgent solution to the micro economy, especially the issues of internal/external debts, southward movement of foreign reserve all of which, he said, had continued to put pressure on the nation’s economy.