THE NEW WORLD ORDER: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN COMMUNICATION”
BRIEF REMARKS BY THE HON MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE, ALHAJI
LAI MOHAMMED, AT THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION OF
ADVERTISING AGENCIES OF NIGERIA (AAAN)
PROTOCOL
President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Heads
and representatives of member agencies, Invited Guests, Distinguished
Ladies and Gentlemen,
- I am delighted to be able to join you at this annual general
meeting of the AAAN and to have this opportunity to trigger a few
reflections that I hope enriches your deliberation during this
meeting. My presence here underscores the vital role and stature of
the advertising industry to our economy, to our creative industries
and to this government’s efforts at providing the enabling environment
and regulatory tools necessary for sustained growth in every
productive sector of the economy. We believe professional bodies such
as the AAAN need the vital support of the government to be able to
proffer the best, most effective and unique solutions for the unique
challenges that confront our nation in these difficult times. The
subject matter I have been asked to briefly comment on today is ‘The
New World Order: Digital Transformation in Communication.’ - We live today in a world rapidly changing in its dynamics of
opportunity and risks. Analytics have become the holy grail in many
sectors of our economy. Advertising and brand marketing are of course
prime examples of sectors where consumer data is critical. The success
of many brands in the creative space internationally and here in
Nigeria is a direct result of their engagement with their audiences.
The same factors that have made this the best time for the economic
exploitation of the creative sector are the same factors that have
created a great deal of competition. It is also this new opportunity
of talking directly with consumers in a data-enabled environment that
has taken brands and entrepreneurs closer to their consumers more than
ever before. The odds of success or solution to any challenge in this
new world order is as high as our regard for the power of digital
technology. And the entrepreneurial opportunities lying in wait at
that crossroad between technology and the economy of sectors like
advertising and brand communication is vast and you as industry
leaders must continue to harness a variety of talents and competences
to take maximum advantage of the opportunities presented. In the new
world order technology is the insurgent. The vast array of new
consumer engagement opportunities is the disruptive potential of the
digital transformation in communication. - That is why it has been a matter of national interest, and an
important critical response for me, to personally convene the
Ministerial Task Team on Audience Measurement System. My mandate to
the Task Team, which has representation across all the relevant
sub-sectors of the digital divide in consumer engagement and
communication, is that necessary protocols must be initiated to give
legal and constitutional framework to a national, systemic,
accountable and data-driven understanding of the impact of
communication on consumer behaviour. It is my desire that all the
relevant parties are able to complete the tasks to achieve this
mandate and we are able to initiate the legislative processes
necessary before the terminal date of this administration in the first
quarter of 2023. - Along the same highway of new technologies and communication in
this emerging world order is also a risk representing a clear and
present danger against which I hope we can together identify
strategies towards deterrence.
Thanks to social media, more people than ever in human history have
access to share their thoughts, likes, dislikes and interests
globally. The digital world is interconnected globally and this has
massive implications for all businesses, brands, economic sub-sectors
and of course the security and well-being of a nation state like
Nigeria. The potent impact of deliberate fake news, orchestrated
disinformation and demarketing by unscrupulous and faceless purveyors
online present huge risks to your work as brand communicators because
it undermines the most critical ingredient to successful consumer
engagement which is TRUST. - We need you, as seasoned communicators and critical stakeholders,
to also consider the roll-on effect of fake news and disinformation on
the economy of advertising and brand marketing, both in the short and
long term. It lays ambush on every brand promise and every potential
argument you make to the benefit of your products and services. Our
proposals to expand the economy of brand marketing through measurement
systems will also be confronted by organic corruption in the absence
of proactive ideas to limit the possibilities of it being negatively
impacted. It is one important task I hope I can charge this
distinguished gathering to consider with all seriousness and purpose. - The context of digital is insurgent, but we must be vigilant to
harness its power and purpose towards the economic empowerment and
growth of our national interests and professional objectives. - As many of you are aware, one of the bold and necessary steps we have taken in recent times is the approval of the ongoing reform initiatives of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). The reform is aimed at strengthening the advertising ecosystem, encouraging inclusive growth as well as attracting investment to the industry.
- The advent of the internet and the new media, characterized with social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp etc., has revolutionized communication globally. All the major giant tech and primary digital media platform owners such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc have been exploring the Nigeria digital media space. In recent time, we have had meetings with some of the major tech giants who have shown interest in investing and exploring business opportunities in the Nigerian digital space. The Federal Government is committed to exploring all the opportunities offered by these techies for the benefit of our people
- Once again, I appreciate the opportunity of your invitation and I wish you all fruitful deliberations. Thank you.
