ARCON, stakeholders to discuss digital industry regulation, AfCFTA, others at NAC 2026
The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and key industry stakeholders are set to examine the future of digital advertising regulation, artificial intelligence (AI) and the implications of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at the sixth National Advertising Conference (NAC) 2026.
The conference, scheduled to hold from November 11 to 13 at the Abuja Continental Hotel, will be held under the theme, “Repositioning the Marketing Communication Industry for the Next Frontier.”
Chairman of the NAC 2026 Planning Committee, Tunji Adeyinka, disclosed this at a media briefing ahead of the conference, stating that one of the major highlights would be the presentation of proposals for a new regulatory framework covering digital advertising and artificial intelligence.
According to Adeyinka, the proposals are being developed by a cross-functional industry committee working with ARCON and other stakeholders. The objective, he said, is to move the conversation beyond identifying challenges to developing practical recommendations for regulating emerging technologies within Nigeria’s marketing communications industry.
He explained that the committee had spent several months examining the regulatory challenges associated with digital advertising and AI, with the goal of developing an amended regulatory model.
The recommendations will be subjected to further discussions with ARCON and other relevant stakeholders before being presented at the conference. Adeyinka said the organisers were looking towards an agreed action plan capable of driving implementation rather than another round of industry-wide discussions.
Another committee, he disclosed, has been examining the impact of AfCFTA on the marketing communications industry. Its findings, alongside a proposed action plan, are also expected to be presented at NAC 2026.
Adeyinka said the National Advertising Conference had intentionally positioned itself as an advocacy platform that could contribute to actual changes in the industry.
“This year, we want to tackle some of the challenges standing in the way of making critical progress,” he said.
DeepMove Meter, data protection take centre stage
The rollout of the DeepMove Meter for television advertising measurement will also form part of the conference programme, with stakeholders expected to examine early data and insights generated by the new audience measurement system.
Data protection will equally feature prominently, particularly the responsibilities of businesses that collect and process consumer information under Nigeria’s evolving regulatory framework.
In his welcome address, ARCON Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, represented at the briefing by the Head of Regulations, Emme Akande, described the National Advertising Conference as an important platform for the industry.
Fadolapo said the sixth edition is projected to attract at least 700 participants, up from about 500 participants recorded at the previous edition.
He also called on media organisations to support the conference by creating broader awareness around its deliberations and eventual outcomes.
Industry groups seek practical solutions
Representatives of sectoral associations at the briefing also emphasised the need for NAC 2026 to produce practical responses to challenges affecting the marketing communications industry.
President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Tolulope Medebem, pointed to the increasing convergence of digital, experiential and other marketing disciplines, stressing the importance of greater collaboration for the industry’s survival and growth.
The President of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Dr. Sola Akinsiku, meanwhile, raised concerns over what he described as excessive government-imposed rates for outdoor political advertising in some states.
Akinsiku called for media scrutiny of the different charges imposed by state governments, arguing that such costs could make political campaigning increasingly difficult for candidates.
He also highlighted the rapid pace of technological development, noting that technologies regarded as cutting-edge today could become obsolete within a few years.
Economy, media measurement and creative economy
NAC 2026 will open with a fireside chat featuring the Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, followed by sessions examining the Nigerian economy and its implications for the marketing communications industry.
The programme will also feature discussions from chief marketing officers on the future of the industry, alongside sessions on media measurement, the informal market, data protection, broadcast digitisation and the relationship between marketing communications and the creative economy.
Other discussions will address language distortion and cultural representation in advertising targeted at audiences in Northern Nigeria, as well as gender, industry fundamentals and the future of the profession.
With digital regulation, artificial intelligence, AfCFTA and data protection among the key issues on the agenda, NAC 2026 is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to move from identifying emerging industry challenges towards developing recommendations and action plans.
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