ADVAN maintains position on ad law, defends absence at Conference
By Oghale Mafuru
The Advertisers Association of Nigeria, ADVAN has maintained that its position on the new Advertising framework remains resolute and that its absence at the media briefing to herald the second edition of the National Advertising Conference is unconnected to its displeasure over the new reforms.
Speaking in an interview with MARKETING EDGE, the President of the association, Osamede Uwubanwmen who pledged support for the National Advertising Conference, stated that the fight against the advertising reforms continues and that ADVAN as a body will not deliberately exempt itself from a conversation that will foster and encourage the growth of the industry.
According to him, he was unavoidably absent and had sought permission from the Chairman of the Planning Committee of the National Advertising Conference to be excused from the media parley which held yesterday in Lagos.
He said: “The fight is the fight but my absence has nothing to do with the fight. It is just being unavailable. The truth of the matter is that I had something to do and that is why I sent my apologies. Every sector had its Presidents there. if I had sent a representative, they would ask me why I sent someone else. The last time I sent a representative to AIT, people called me to ask why I sent the representative. Either way, we will always have questions”.
“We will have other conversations and meetings which I will attend. So it is not the quarrel. The quarrel is on the ground already” he affirmed” he stated.
He also commented on the need for other stakeholders to understand the peculiar work situation its members operate.
In his words: “People need to understand ADVAN. Everybody seated in that place could just say that they will send three or four people from their different organisations but on our side, we are employees of somebody. Shareholders own our businesses, even the MD answers to the shareholders”.
Speaking about the possibility of ADVAN members attending the conference, the President noted that Lagos would have been a better location for the conference as most of its members reside in the state.
“I told them how to make even our members attend. One, most of us are based in Lagos, not Abuja. It is a four-day event. If they don’t see our people there now, they will say ADVAN people did not come. Who amongst us can do four days outside his office and still have a job when he comes back from Abuja, he asked rhetorically.
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