Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has denied the Advertisers Association of Nigeria’s (ADVAN) allegation that the council is orchestrating a campaign of misinformation and manipulation aimed at derailing ongoing reforms in the country’s advertising sector.

In a statement dated February 23 and signed by its Director General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON described ADVAN’s recent open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a calculated attempt to halt reforms tied to the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy and new payment directives within the industry.

The regulator rejected what it called “every major claim” in the letter, including allegations that ARCON’s policies had led to declining media spend, investor exits, and overregulation of the sector.

ARCON noted that ADVAN had simultaneously instituted multiple lawsuits at the Federal High Court challenging its regulatory powers, while also prosecuting the same issues in the media.

“If a case is sub judice, why take it to the media,” the statement queried.

The council argued that ADVAN’s actions reflected a broader pattern of attempting to obstruct reform through public pressure rather than regulatory engagement.

One of the central claims in ADVAN’s letter was that its members account for over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s advertising industry spend, which it estimated at more than N800 billion yearly. The association cited this figure in its call for presidential intervention.

But ARCON described the claim as “an outright fabrication.”

“ADVAN members neither contribute 90 per cent of Nigeria’s advertising industry spend nor conduct business worth N800 billion as claimed. ADVAN members contribute less than 10 per cent of the advertising industry spend, and its membership has declined in recent times due to poor leadership,” ARCON stated.