In order to revolutionize the African media landscape and boost local content production, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) is establishing the continent’s first indigenous stock image bank named the Nigeria Stock Image Bank (NSIB). The Image Bank is expected to engage over 100,000 photographers, 10,000 models, content creators and other professionals at inception.

To make this a reality, the council recently inaugurated a 10-member Stock Image Bank Committee to be led by Kelechi Amadi Obi, a veteran photographer of global repute and the President of the Professional Photographers Association of Nigeria. He is joined onboard as member by Mr. Frank Osodi, President of the Professional Model Managers Association of Nigeria (PROMMAN).

Other members of the committee include Mr. Bolu Apata from the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN); Mr. Omo Abunene from the Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN); Mr. Uche Onwudiwe from the Advertisers and clients; Mr. Kanmi Da Silva of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN); Mr. Victor Oyarero of the Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Ms. Martha Ugbomma Onyebuchi (ARCON), and Ms. Winifred Akpan, will serve as the secretary.

In his address when inaugurating the committee, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director General of ARCON, said: “The establishment of Nigeria’s Stock Image Bank is a crucial step in the right direction of promoting local content and helping to boost the economy in line with the directive of the Honourable Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, and the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Dr. Fadolapo stated.

“This pioneering effort aligns perfectly with our ongoing mission to develop local content and promote indigenous production. We believe that creating an African-centric image repository will empower our local talent while ensuring that our visual narrative is authentically represented on the global stage.”

The ARCON boss elaborated on the potential impact of the stock image bank and its role in meeting both local and international needs. He charged the newly formed committee to excel in their assigned task, setting a deadline of three months for the submission of an interim report. This report is expected to lay the groundwork for implementing Africa’s first comprehensive stock image bank. Among other things, it is expected to address key aspects such as technological infrastructure, copyright protection and intellectual property and strategies for global market penetration.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Kelechi Amadi Obi expressed both honour and determination. “It’s an honour to be brought onboard to head this committee,” he said. “I am happy to have met the man pioneering change in this sector and giving local content the opportunity to thrive with the changes he has been bringing, enabling local content creators who live within Nigeria to tell the story of Nigeria.

“My people have a saying that until the lion can tell his story, the hunter will always be the hero. An initiative like this is not just for the business aspect. I believe it is existential for us to be able to tell our stories.”

He went on to highlight the current disparity in online image searches, noting that a query for “African man pounding yam” often yields results captured outside the continent by non-African photographers. “It is very important for us to be our own storytellers,” Amadi emphasized. “An Image Bank is not something you put together very easily. It is like going to the supermarket. You have to stock it with enough variety of products for people to want to go to the supermarket. You also have to put in place a system where whoever’s product is sold gets paid and can restock.”

Amadi concluded, “With the Stock Image Bank, we are at the cusp of a turnaround. This bank will not only serve the Nigerian people, it will serve the world. It provides the bank of images that will decide how the world sees Africa. Once we wake up, the rest of the continent will, as well.”

According to industry observers, the establishment of Africa’s first stock image bank is expected to have far-reaching implications, particularly for photographers, models, and other content creators. It aligns with the growing trend of cultural authenticity in global media and advertising, providing a platform for African visual narratives to be shared with the world. They added that as Africa continues to assert its place on the global stage, initiatives like ARCON’s stock image bank are crucial in shaping how the continent is perceived worldwide. With the right implementation, this pioneering effort could well become a model for other African nations.