The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has intensified its crackdown on unethical advertising practices following the circulation of a series of controversial Bokku Supermarket advertisements across social media. The council described the materials as offensive, divisive, and in breach of national advertising laws.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON expressed strong disapproval of the campaign, which it said promoted ethnic and sectional bias while ridiculing a segment of Nigeria’s population. The regulator noted that such content violates the Federal Government’s policy on national unity and peaceful coexistence, stressing that advertising must reflect truthfulness, decency, legality, and social responsibility.
According to Dr. Fadolapo, the offending advertisements were never submitted to the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) for vetting — a mandatory step before any ad can be publicly displayed in Nigeria. “These advertisements were neither vetted nor approved for exposure,” he stated, describing them as “a clear breach of professional ethics and a threat to social harmony.”
ARCON said it will be invoking all available legal and regulatory measures against those behind the ads — including advertisers, agencies, and digital platforms that facilitated their spread. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing compliance, warning that any entity found guilty of similar violations will face sanctions or prosecution.
As part of its renewed enforcement efforts, ARCON has also launched a dedicated monitoring and enforcement task force to identify and clamp down on unapproved advertisements across print, broadcast, outdoor, and digital media platforms.
This development signals the Council’s heightened vigilance in regulating the advertising ecosystem, particularly in the fast-evolving digital and social media landscape, where many unvetted campaigns have historically escaped scrutiny. By tightening oversight, ARCON aims to safeguard the public from misleading, indecent, and divisive advertising content that undermines Nigeria’s social cohesion and professional standards.