Nigeria has become the first country in history to declare a total ban on foreign modals in television advertisements. The Nigerian government made the decision in an attempt to ‘develop local talent,’ and it will go into effect in October of this year.
According to The Times, the ban means that all non-Nigerian models and voiceover artists will soon be out of work in the country, which will represent a significant cultural shift for them. Foreign faces and British-accented voices used to be common on Nigerian television.
‘Ten to twenty years ago, if you looked at the commercials, I would say they were almost 50/50 in terms of foreign faces and all the voiceovers were British accents,’ Steve Babaeko, president of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, told The Times following the announcement.
Although the ban was recently announced, companies in Nigeria previously had to pay a fee of 100,000 Naira (approximately $240) for using any foreign model in their advertisements. The ad agency AMV BBDO was one of the first to embrace this shift, using local models and directors to shoot the ‘Black Shines Brightest’ campaign for the beer brand Guinness.
‘I believe the law is just catching up with national sentiment. Even eight years ago, there was a renaissance in Nigeria. People will tell you, ‘There are about 200 million of us.’ Are you telling me you couldn’t find any indigenous models for this commercial?’ Babaeko explained. The Nigerian advertising industry is estimated to be worth $450 million in 2021, and while it is not as large as that of many other African countries, this move is expected to increase its popularity.
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