In an unprecedented move set to revolutionise the African media landscape and boost local-content production, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has taken a bold step towards establishing the continents 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.
The council recently inaugurated a 10-member Stock Image Bank Committee in Lagos as part of its ongoing industry wide reforms aimed at growing and projecting the advertising eco-system as a force to be reckon with in the global advertising market.
Director General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, underscored the importance of this initiative in his welcome address. 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, he stated.
Fadolapo 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.
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.
The 10-member committee, carefully selected to represent various sectors of the advertising and media industry, is chaired 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 Frank Osodi, President of the Professional Model Managers Association of Nigeria, (PROMMAN).
Other members of the committee with key representation across sectors include Bolu Apata, from the Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN); Omo Abunene, from the Outdoor Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, (OAAN); Uche Onwudiwe, from the Advertisers and clients; Kanmi Da Silva of the Advertising Agencies Association of Nigeria (AAAN); 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.
