Nigerians across all walks of life have thrown their weight behind the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria’s (ARCON) directive that requires all advertisements targeted at the Nigerian market to use Nigerian models and voice-over artists in their material, following a viral retweet by Elon Musk, according to Tunji Faleye of Brand Impact, an online publication.
Musk reposted a claim by the X account Wild Videos recently, alleging Nigeria had “become the first country to ban white and British models in all advertising.” His retweeting, a single “hmm” was enough to ignite an international firestorm. The post racked up over 12 million views within 48 hours, drawing outrage from European and American accounts who framed the policy as racial discrimination.
But the response from Nigeria set the record straight. From the replies section of Musk’s own post to the pages of industry publications, Nigerians pushed back, making clear that the ARCON’s directive is not an anti-racist policy but a local talents development and industry growth policy aimed at the Nigerian advertising industry.
The policy at the centre of attention was issued on August 22, 2022 by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) under ARCON Act No. 23 of 2022, signed by Director-General Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo. It restricts any non-Nigerian, regardless of race or country of origin, from featuring in advertisements targeted at the Nigerian market, with effect from October 1, 2022. A Ghanaian, Black British model and a white German actor are equally affected. A white Nigerian citizen is not. The distinction is citizenship, not colour.
Even Grok, Musk’s own AI tool on X, stepped in to correct the record in replies, noting the ban is “nationality-based, not race-specific,” and that the “white and British only” framing was “sensationalized hype from the old policy.”
Nigerian voices take over Musk’s thread
As Musk’s repost drew responses from across the world, Nigerian users flooded the replies with clarity and conviction. @IamEriOluwa offered one of the most detailed and widely shared corrections, replying directly to Musk:
“No, Nigeria did not ban only white models; the policy prohibits the use of foreign models and voice-over artists in advertisements targeted at the Nigerian market, regardless of race or ethnicity. They are saying, use Nigerians to sell to Nigerians. Where is the problem? You can’t just outsource all the big money to others who aren’t from Nigeria while you make all the money in Nigeria. I don’t think that’s discrimination; it’s protection. It gives Nigerians more opportunities to thrive in their country in a space where they have been previously excluded. You wouldn’t know what that is until you have seen how these multinationals abused all their privileges in Nigeria.”
Social Critic, Daniel Regha, also lend his voice to the debate, in response to Elon Musk: “Elon, context matters. While there’s mixed reactions to this even amongst Nigerians, the country’s move to place a ban on foreign models is to up the chances of Nigerians in Nigeria have an opportunity to secure such jobs and also promote local talent within the advertising industry.
“The country is full of talented people who are often overlooked because many agencies rather give the job to non-Nigerians than take a chance with an indigenous person.This is debatable for a few reasons, but it has nothing to do with racism or discrimination as wildly assumed. You can, and should a research in regards to this @elonmusk. Also keep in mind that this is old news.”
The sentiment was echoed widely. When the original 2022 announcement was made, one X user with the handle @whitenigerian put it simply: “I love this development. We don’t need foreign solutions to our local problems. Nigerian for Nigeria.” That same spirit resurfaced this week, with many Nigerians pointing out the irony of Musk who has advocated for nationalist hiring policies and economic protectionism in the United States and Europe appearing to take issue with Nigeria doing the same for its own creative industry.
Industry Leaders: “Long Overdue” and “A New Dawn”
The X debate reflected a broader industry consensus that had been building for years before the policy was even enacted. Steve Babaeko, then-president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), described the directive to the UK’s The Times as something that had simply been a long time coming. “Ten to twenty years ago, if you checked the commercials, I would say they were almost 50/50 in terms of foreign faces and all the voiceovers were British accents,” he said. “I think the law is just catching up with national sentiment. As long as maybe eight years ago you would notice some kind of renaissance in Nigeria. People will tell you, ‘There are about 200 million of us. Are you telling me you could not find indigenous models for this commercial?'”
The Professional Models Association of Nigeria (PROMMAN) went further. In a statement through its Public Relations Officer Kenneth Ighodalo, the association said it received the directive with “cheers and jubilation,” commending ARCON for “having the political will to finally take the needed step after decades of calls to prioritise Nigerian content and stop the misrepresentation of our collective identity as Nigerians.” Ighodalo was unequivocal: the ban “had absolutely nothing to do with racism.” He added: “Finally, we need to focus on the positives that will tell our stories, promote our people, talents, arts, culture, fashion and identity in our advertising campaign to the rest of the world — and ARCON are on the very right track.”`
Mike Igbe, Acting President of the Guild of Professional Talent Managers of Nigeria (Guptman), also threw his full support behind the directive. “There are beautiful and creative ladies in Nigeria that would be the perfect fit for any brief — name it,” he told Marketing Edge. “If this law stands, it will definitely generate a lot of revenue for the country, the industry will grow, talents will grow, and they will stop migrating and looking for greener pastures in foreign climes.”
Models and Creatives: “We Have Them, and We Need More Room”
Winner of the 2021 Mrs. Nigeria pageant, Tarere Obiagbo, captured the mood of the creative community precisely. “I think it’s about time, and I am so glad the policy has been passed. Although it is a lot of work to audition and screen for the right talents, we have them, and we need more room. We can’t be putting chunks of ad production money out of the country,” she told Marketing Edge. “We get to celebrate our own faces, our beauty and accent. I applaud it.”
Content creator and show host Alexis Ukpabia was equally direct: “I honestly agree and see the need for this. Being African for Africans shouldn’t be word of mouth alone. We need to start supporting our own people; our own talents deserve the attention and support too. Imagine selling goods locally and then using foreign models or creatives for the ad. Makes no sense.”
Model and content developer Jennifer Okotie-Eboh spoke to the economic ripple effects for those further down the creative chain. “As a model, I feel elated,” she said, before noting that the policy comes as “even greater news for freelancers,” predicting it would “give room for the growth of local talent and creatives, and an avenue for better and higher flow of revenue in the creative space.”
Nigeria First: The Directive is Policy, Not Provocation
ARCON’s directive sits squarely within the Nigeria First framework championed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The directive’s own language states it is “in line with the Federal Government’s policy of developing local talent, inclusive economic growth and the need to take necessary steps and actions aimed at growing the Nigerian advertising industry.”
Responding to critics recently, ARCON had noted, “During a review, it was discovered that some advertisers outsourced the use of talent in advertisements targeted at the Nigerian market. Many advertisements use foreign models and voice-over artists. In some cases, productions are done outside the country, thereby denying Nigerians and the Nigerian economy the benefits and gains of advertising income. In order to reverse this trend and in line with the Nigerian First Policy, ARCON directed that all advertisements targeting the Nigerian market must use Nigerian talent and be produced in Nigeria, except where circumstances do not permit this.”
