Nigeria urges industry stakeholders to promote local content initiatives

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Referencing the Executive Order 5 President Muhammadu Buhari signed in 2018 on demonstrating his administration’s efforts at advancing the need for application of science, technology and innovation in the country, the Federal Government has urged stakeholders in the advertising industry to implement Nigerian laws and policy promoting the use of local contents for at least 40 per cent of advertisement contents.

Dr. Dasuki Arabi, Director-General, Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), stated this Saturday, October 3, in Abuja, FCT, while receiving the Management of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), ThisDay report said.

Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Registrar of APCON, had led the Council’s delegation on a working visit to the BPSR.

Arabi, it is important that the advertising industry plays a leading role, as required of it in promoting local content in its productions to be in line with a provision in the Executive Order 5 of the Federal Government.

President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Executive Order 5 on February 5, 2018, partly to improve local content in public procurement in all areas, especially science, engineering and technology components.

The Executive Order demonstrates the Federal Government’s efforts to promote the application of science, technology and innovation within Nigeria to enhance the national developmental goal of improving all sectors of the economy.

The BPSR Director-General said that “the issue of local content is very important to the country now that the government is changing the face of development across areas and segments in promoting national interests.”

Arabi disclosed that the idea to re-brand the public sector became imperative, especially in the quest to ensure that government creates a unified master brand which could among others be used to achieve strategic objectives.

These include boosting the nation’s image, building stronger sense of national unity, delivering digital services, improving government’s communication to citizens, and redirecting focus on services provided by government departments, he noted.

He added: “The initiative essentially addresses Federal Government’s concerns toward creating a Unified Master-Brand Architecture to handle government’s branding and information management for enhanced service delivery,” he said.

Thus far, he stated that the committee set up in 2019 has submitted an interim report; developed its Terms of Reference and strategic framework for developing a brand management for the public sector.

He said: “The COVID-19 pandemic had somehow slowed the space of work on the assignment. It is hoped, however, that with the phased ease of the lockdown and further directives from the SGF, the committee will proceed further with the assignment.”

Dr. Fadolapo also remarked that there have been lots of improvements in the advertisement sector in the country, and that there is still room for more positive development.

The two organisations also promised to deepen their working relationship, especially in the areas of civil and public sectors reforms, APCON Registrar stated.