ARCON Announces Industry Recognition Awards to Stimulate Excellence

Raheem Akingbolu

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has announced an expanded industry recognition awards programme to promote excellence, responsible advertising and professionalism in Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry.

Known as the ARCON Special Recognition Awards (ASRA), the initiative will recognise advertisers, brands, organisations, public institutions and individuals that have contributed to the growth of the industry.

Speaking at a press conference to unveil the awards, Director-General of ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, said the initiative was initially conceived to recognise compliance with advertising standards but was later expanded to accommodate other important contributions to the advertising ecosystem.

He said while regulation and compliance remain central to ARCON’s mandate, recognising good work could also encourage responsible practice and greater commitment to professional standards.

Fadolapo reiterated that the awards underscore ARCON’s commitment to the growth of the industry, stressing that the Council is not out to strangulate the industry but to strengthen it, encourage responsible practice and celebrate excellence.

He added that recognising deserving individuals and organisations would give greater visibility to their contributions and encourage others to play their part in advancing the industry.

Chairman of the ASRA Planning Committee, Yinka Adebayo, said the awards would be presented under four broad categories: Advertising Compliance Awards, Public Sector Recognition Awards, Private Sector Recognition Awards and Individual Recognition Awards.

Adebayo said the Advertising Compliance Awards would recognise advertisers, brands and practitioners that demonstrate exemplary compliance with advertising standards and adherence to the industry’s vetting process.

The category will cover 16 sectors, including food; hotels, restaurants and cafés; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; aviation and automobiles; fintech; banking and insurance; betting; computers, mobile devices and electronics; telecommunications; commerce and retail; education; real estate; healthcare services; home and personal care; and entertainment.

He explained that nominees in the compliance category would be assessed on eligible advertising materials submitted to ARCON during 2024 and 2025. Shortlisted nominees would undergo independent verification, while performance scores would take into account submission volume, compliance records and regulatory queries.

The Public Sector Recognition Awards will cover grassroots engagement and community mobilisation, stakeholder engagement for public service delivery, public information campaigns, social impact communication, culture and heritage promotion, responsible influencer engagement and digital public communication.

The Private Sector Recognition Awards will cover SME engagement and consumer mobilisation, customer response management, sponsorship marketing, corporate social responsibility and social impact communication, brand reinvention and innovation, creative use of culture in communication and Pride in Origin.

The Individual Recognition Awards will honour professionals and pioneers who have contributed significantly to the development of the marketing communications industry through the Sectoral Frontrunner Awards, Industry Lifetime Contribution Awards and Distinguished Service Recognition Awards.

Adebayo said the individual awards would also help preserve the history of the industry and acquaint younger practitioners with some of the people whose contributions helped shape its development.

Industry leaders at the unveiling welcomed the initiative and described recognition as an important way of encouraging professionalism and excellence.

President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Lanre Adisa, said recognising good work would create greater visibility for the advertising industry and encourage practitioners, particularly in an increasingly demanding business environment.

President of the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), Tolulope Medebem, said recognition goes beyond celebrating achievement as it reinforces standards, rewards commitment and highlights the values the industry wants to promote.

President of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Brenda Nwangwu, and Publicity Secretary of the Out-of-Home Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN), Babs Fagade, who represented the association’s President, also expressed support for the initiative, noting that it would further strengthen ARCON’s efforts to raise advertising standards and promote professionalism across the industry.

Meanwhile, Tolaram Group, Platinum Sponsor of the initiative, said its support for ASRA was informed by its commitment to creativity, professionalism, integrity and excellence in the marketing communications industry.

Group Media Manager, Tolaram, Adeola Amusun, said the company expects the awards to draw attention to individuals and organisations doing remarkable work but whose contributions may not always receive public recognition.

“For me, the expectation is really to see people who have done great work being rewarded or awarded,” Amusun said.

He noted that recognition does not necessarily have to be financial, adding that acknowledging the efforts of individuals and organisations could encourage them to continue contributing to the growth of the industry.

Nominations for the 2026 awards opened on August 31 and will close on September 13. Submission of supporting evidence will run from September 14 to 19, while voting in applicable categories will take place from September 20 to 27. The jury will sit from September 28 to October 2 to select the winners.

The organisers said the nomination, assessment and verification processes were designed to ensure transparency and credibility, while additional sponsorship opportunities remain open to interested organisations.