Nigeria becomes first country to ban foreign models in advertisements
Aug 28, 2022
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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Nigeria’s advertising regulator has announced a ban on using foreign talent in television advertisements. The first-of-its-kind move means that foreign models and voice-over artists will be completely banned.
The measure will take effect from October 2022 and is expected to boost work available for home-grown talent. Up until now, the Nigerian advertising sector used a large proportion of white British models and voice-over artists.
“All advertisements, advertising, and marketing communications materials targeted or exposed on the Nigerian advertising space are to use only Nigerian models and voice-over artists,” the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) stated.
The order takes effect from October 1 and the Nigerian government has given a leeway for all ongoing campaigns to keep running until the end of their terms.
Steve Babaeko, President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, told The Times, “Britons accounted for about half of models and voiceover artists in Nigerian commercials a couple of decades ago.” He added, “there was some kind of renaissance in Nigeria with a new sense of pride emerging among young people.”
There was already a levy on using foreign models. Firms had to pay a fee of 100,000 Naira (about $240) for employing any foreign model in their advertisements.
But many people have welcomed the move. Ad agency AMV BBDO was one of the first to use local models and director to shoot the “Black Shines Brightest” campaign for beer brand Guinness.
[Via The Times]
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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56 responses to “Nigeria becomes first country to ban foreign models in advertisements”
The title of the article is inaccurate and devisive. They’re not “banning white people”, they’re banning foreigners.that means ANYONE outside of Nigeria. Stop hate mongering.
So its not racism its xenophobia. Equally bad
It is allowing opportunities for their own models to succeed in their own backyard. It is one thing, as an African American, to barely see representation of myself in America media. But for a Nigerian in their own African country to see 50% of British white models in advertisement is something else entirely.
I assure you the percentage of non white everything is not proportional to the population that exists in europe (in the sense that it is much much much higher) and we get along with it just fine…
We are discussing Nigeria hiring models from a country that once colonized it. You really have no room to make any type of excuses. The more you do the more it seems you are trying to ensure the power of white supremacy holds. Stop it
No, it’s more like nationalism but it’s small and this certainly isn’t “equally bad” compared to racism, that’s inflated hyperbole.
it’s only for you. it is just reason for replace white people with no accusations of racism. Here in Kazakhstan we have the same: all people can speak Russian, but only Kazakh-speaking (Asians) people can work in the police, the courts, in government positions.
The title is very misleading and many countries do this. Making sure the people of your country have more opurtunities is not wrong. If you want to work in the country go live there or become a citizen. It seems like people have an issue with this because it’s an African country; and if this is so that’s racist.
Who’s “they”? This is the official tweet. If anyone’s racism is blatantly visible here, it’s yours, based on all your comments.
Go on, one more about how the “kneegrows” are lazy and don’t want to work hard. You tell ’em, Sophia! Go Sophia, go! White champion!
https://twitter.com/FMICNigeria/status/1562025836534013953
It is NOT racism
It is racist AND stupid.
Lol.
“Black people are lazy and whites worked hard to get where they are”
Rewind the clock back to 200 years ago and you’d be making the same argument on a cotton plantation.
FACT: the ban is on all foreign talent, not race.
FACT: you evidently don’t know the difference between nationality and race, or think that 100% of Nigeria is comprised of black people.
Well they need to pay Ludacris, Janet, Beyonce and Rihanna etc, etc, for using their photos in those African salon and barber shops over there.
That is the right thing to do, call it whatever you like. Nigerian models and Voice of Nigerians should be use to Target Nigerians in advertising and not a westerners or foreigners. They don’t use our African or Nigerian ascents while should we. We should be proud of what we have just like them. If ours is not good enough, we should strive to develop it, after all practice make perfect.
Yeah, make racism and separation great again! It worked like a charm back then…
When other countries do it, it seems fine and celebrated, but when the US does it all of a sudden it’s racist. Seems like people just want to be mad no matter what.
The US isn’t doing it – this story is about Nigeria.
USA is multicultural. You can’t ban any race in the US. Your country exists cause of all these races.
This isn’t a ban on race, either.
Better title: Nigeria Stands Up For It’s People & Karen Author Has Meltdown
Ma’am this is a Walmart…
Being racist is never okay.
Nigeria isn’t a race.
Now go read about power dynamics in race relations since you’re such an equality advocate…
Yes genius, countries consist of races. As in, more than one. As in, foreigners to Nigeria would be more than a single race.
The headline here explicitly says “white”.
That’s not what the ban entails.
Are all foreigners to Nigeria only white? You’re apparently OK with the author insinuating racism.
But sure. “LiTeRaLlY ZeRo OpInIoN”.
This is the official tweet:
https://twitter.com/FMICNigeria/status/1562025836534013953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1562025836534013953%7Ctwgr%5Ec6756979de1905fc94165bb40888703eb46c8421%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fnigeria-becomes-first-country-officially-204012475.html
Do you see anything about whites?
Why report it as if Nigeria has issues with white models? Nigeria only wants to use her own people to boost employment for her own talents.
it’s simple call give back to the society.
Wow I love this time to wake up ….let’s start with this more to come
I’m white and I think this a good thing. Even in my country (which there are almost 0 blonde/blue eyed people) our ads are full with northern pale white people. I don’t see why it’s bad if every country stands up for their OWN people
foreign models not white models brother… FOREIGN
Great News 👍
With due respect edit your title
Yes, the title of this article is inaccurate, misleading and inflammatory, it’s not even accurately the title of the article it’s taken from. Do better.
https://twitter.com/FMICNigeria/status/1562025836534013953
“Foreigners” can only be white people in the eyes of the author, apparently.
I wasn’t so sure until now: white fragility is definitely a thing.
Hell yeah Nigeria!
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The fact the Nigerian government passes a law preventing white models from appearing in campaigns only highlights what a failed, backward country it is.
It’s also huge disrespect of black women, like the elitist politicians in power don’t think black women are good enough to compete with white women. Well, newsflash, black women have walked the catwalks of Paris, Milan, and New York.
This is pure racism… and also shows the inferiority complex amongst those passing this legislation and those supporting it.
A government should neither “ban” nor dictate which models should be in campaigns.
Those supporting it are racist morons, and it doesn’t matter how much they want to pretend they’re being “progressive” – it’s literally the same as a white country deciding only white models should be allowed to appear in campaigns.
Good for them. Europe could learn something from them.
Good for them. Europe could learn something from them.
I am not sure, but is there a word for stopping people working based on skin colour? It is on the tip of my tongue.
Begone clickbait!
This is what Progressive poltics does… lol
Click bait headlines, it bans foreign talent. Weird way to stoke the fragile white readership though.
Good for them. Europe could learn something from them.
I am not sure, but is there a word for stopping people working based on skin colour? It is on the tip of my tongue.
Ok this headline is horrible and by using the term white people instead of a more accurate headline this immediately gives a negative impression and naturally people are running with it. A more accurate and less race baiting option would have been Nigeria is choosing local talent over foreign for advertising. That is basically what they are doing and honestly it makes perfect sense for them. But no they had to go and say they are banning white people so now everyone looking for their oppression will have a fit. And they have. I noted this story on the newsbreak app and there was so many “victims of racial bias” having a field day. People read the entire article not just the headline.
Read before you angry react y’all. Misleading title. Gotta call it out
Excuse me, but what a crappy, sensationalist and factually wrong headline is this?
Click bait headlines, it bans foreign talent. Weird way to stoke the fragile white readership though.
This is what Progressive poltics does… lol
Ok this headline is horrible and by using the term white people instead of a more accurate headline this immediately gives a negative impression and naturally people are running with it. A more accurate and less race baiting option would have been Nigeria is choosing local talent over foreign for advertising. That is basically what they are doing and honestly it makes perfect sense for them. But no they had to go and say they are banning white people so now everyone looking for their oppression will have a fit. And they have. I noted this story on the newsbreak app and there was so many “victims of racial bias” having a field day. People read the entire article not just the headline.
Excuse me, but what a crappy, sensationalist and factually wrong headline is this?
I wonder if Nigerian people think it is a racist/nationalist initiative, as well as we westeners do when it comes to the same stuff, with inverted sides.
Read before you angry react y’all. Misleading title. Gotta call it out
did I miss something? I read nobody outside of their country. Not white people. They were specifying history of using Britons. Britons are not just white. What am I missing? Unless I missed something, I think the title of this article is misleading.