FG urged to re-constitute APCON Council, review national communications policy

The Federal Government has been called upon to as a matter of urgency, re-constitute the Governing Council of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) as well as appoint a Chairman to steer the affairs of the Council.

In similar vein, the government has been asked to kick start a process towards reviewing Nigeria’s national communications policy as well as develop a Strategic national communication plan to ensure effective policy formulation and dissemination of public information machinery.

Giving these advice was the former Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Lolu Akinwunmi while speaking at the opening of the two days National Advertising Conference held in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

Addressing a forum of professional advertising and marketing communications industry practitioners and guests who converged at the Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Abuja venue of the conference, Akinwumi observed that six years into the Buhari administration, APCON does not have a Chairman and Council, pointing out that, for a major parastatal that plays a key role in public communication and serves as a gate keeper, this was inadequate and hence should be redressed.

“We use this opportunity again to call on government to appoint a Chairman and Council for APCON. I will like to use this opportunity to convey to the government and especially the Hon Minister of Information and Culture that the government has a very strong ally in our industry, and we are more than prepared to offer our services and support”

According to Akinwunmi, was one time President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) , one of the key things that the practitioners under APCON can do is to especially support and drive government’s key economic and social mobilization programmes.

He noted that in 2015 when the administration took over from the Jonathan government, the practitioners under APCON offered to support the CHANGE agenda by advising government that it did not need to re-invent the wheel, as key components of CHANGE had been addressed within the Rebranding Plan under the late Dora Akunyili.

Akinwunmi who also is Group CEO, Prima Garnet Africa,noted that the last the Nigerian government reviewed national communication policy was in 1987 and to this end, he said government must embark on urgent review of the national communications policy as well as develop a strategic national communication plan as, according to him, ” Nigeria and Nigerians deserves an effective public communication”.

“It is sometimes clear that the absence of a Communication policy reflects in many steps the government takes and how it responds in communicating with Nigerians and other local and external stakeholders. The gaps we often observe are as a result of the absence of a strategic plan from a communication policy” he stated, adding The gaps we often observe are as a result of the absence of a strategic plan from a communication policy.

He added further that the government needs to work with professionals in drawing up plans that will loop the various stakeholders, be they Nollywood, our musical artistes, our fashion designers, the various news organs like the NTA, FRCN among others.