AI Advertising Rules Head for Industry Review Ahead of Nigeria’s November Conference

• Industry recommendations on AI and digital marketing are being prepared.

• ARCON and stakeholders will review proposals before November’s conference.

• Consumer data protection and audience measurement are also on the agenda.

• Announced plans do not establish new AI requirements or an enforcement date.

Nigeria’s advertising industry is preparing proposals that could influence how marketers use artificial intelligence, with consultations planned before November’s National Advertising Conference.

A cross-functional committee has spent several months developing recommendations on AI and digital marketing regulation, according to conference planning committee chairman Tunji Adeyinka. Its work is expected to be discussed with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria and industry stakeholders before presentation at the conference.

For agencies and brands, those consultations create an opportunity to influence the proposals before they reach the conference floor. Organisers want an actionable regulatory model ready for discussion at the November 11–13 gathering at Abuja Continental Hotel.

Negotiations Come Before New Obligations

Speaking at a media briefing, Adeyinka said the committee’s recommendations would undergo extensive discussion with the regulator and key stakeholders.

He described the intended outcome as “an amended model for regulating digital and also artificial intelligence”.

Published accounts of the briefing do not specify proposed requirements for AI-generated images, synthetic voices, automated copy or disclosures to consumers. They also provide no enforcement date.

Businesses therefore cannot yet determine which production or approval processes might change. What has been announced is a process for developing and reviewing recommendations, rather than a final set of obligations.

November is the planned presentation point. Adeyinka’s account places the substantive consultations ahead of it.

Consumer Data Is Also Under Scrutiny

Alongside AI, organisers plan to examine data protection and the industry’s dependence on consumer information.

Adeyinka identified the Nigeria Data Protection Commission as a critical regulator for advertising businesses and urged practitioners to understand their responsibilities under existing data protection legislation. Audience measurement will also feature, including insights from the rollout of television people meters in Lagos.

A separate committee is examining the African Continental Free Trade Area’s implications for marketing communications, with an action plan expected at the conference. Other sessions will consider changing business models and consumer behaviour.

Together, these discussions extend beyond how advertising is created to how businesses use customer information, measure audiences and operate across markets. Their practical effect will depend on the proposals that emerge and the decisions regulators subsequently take.