DG, ARCON, Lekan Fadolapo

 

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has  explained that the establishment of the continent’s first indigenous stock image bank, the Nigeria Stock Image Bank (NSIB),  was informed by the need to further sanitise the industry, enhance local contents and create more jobs.

 

 

It further stated that the step has become imperative to truly reposition  the nation’s integrated marketing communication space, and put it on the path of growth.

 

 

The Director General, ARCON, Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, explained that the initiative aimed at revolutionizing the continent’s media landscape, when fully functional, will  engage over 100,000 photographers, 10,000 models, content creators and other professionals at inception.

 

 

He  disclosed that the council has  inaugurated a 10-member Stock Image Bank Committee, that will be in charge of the initiative, which he described as part of the agency’s  ongoing industry-wide reforms, aimed at growing and projecting the advertising ecosystem, and making it  a force to be reckoned with in the global advertising market.

 

 

He expressed the belief  that creating an African-centric image repository will empower its  local talents, while also ensuring that the continent’s visual narrative is authentically represented on the global stage.

 

 

The ARCON boss explained that the 10-member committee, to be chaired by ace photographer, and President, Professional Model Managers Association of Nigeria (PROMMAN), Kelechi Amadi Obi, has been carefully selected to represent various sectors of the advertising and media industry.

 

 

He therefore charged the newly- formed committee to excel in their assigned task,  while setting a deadline of three months for the submission of an interim report, expected to lay the groundwork for implementing Africa’s first comprehensive stock image bank.

 

 

The report, he added, will  address key areas such as technological infrastructure, copyright protection and intellectual property and strategies for global market penetration.

 

Obi, in his acceptance speech, expressed his delight to be part of ARCON’s efforts at pioneering change in the nation’s Advertising sector and giving local content the opportunity to thrive.

 

 

He believed the initiative will give local content creators, living in Nigeria, the opportunity to tell the story of Nigeria.

 

” An initiative like this is not just for the business aspect. I believe it is existential for us to be able to tell our stories. It is very important for us be our own story-tellers,”he noted.

 

He went on to highlight the current disparity in online image searches, noting that a query for “African man pounding yam” often yields results captured outside the continent by non-African photographers.

 

“With the Stock Image Bank, we are at the cusp of a turnaround. This bank will not only serve the Nigerian people, it will serve the world; since it provides the bank of images that will decide how the world sees Africa. Once we wake up, the rest of the continent will, as well,” he added.

 

 

Interestingly, not a few industry watchers believed the latest move by the industry’s apex regulatory body, aligns with the growing trend of cultural authenticity in global media and advertising; since it provides  a platform for African visual narratives to be shared with the world.

 

 

“As Africa continues to assert its place on the global stage, initiatives like ARCON’s stock image bank are crucial in shaping how the continent is perceived worldwide,” said a practitioner, who would not want his name in print.

 

 

He believed  with the right implementation, this pioneering effort could well become a model for other African nations, with far-reaching implications, particularly for photographers, models, and other content creators, operating in the continent.