From July 1, 2006, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has said it would fully enforce the provision of its code in respect to condom advertisements in the Country. A statement signed by Emmanuel Ekuno, Chairman of Advertising Standard Panel (ASP), APCON statutory body charged with vetting and approval of advertisements, has directed advertisers of condom in Nigeria to fully adhere to the provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising practice which requires all condom advertisements to have health warning inscribed on them.

In this light, APCON wants condom advertisements in the country to henceforth carry the above warnings. He cited section 4.39 (c) of the code, which provides that condom advertisements shall not encourage indecency in the use of the product. Further to this code, according to Ekuno, no advertisement shall dramatize or in anyway depict or insinuate sexual act by word, graphics, sound or action.

Other provisions of the code which Ekuno wants advertisers of condom to note include not airing condom adverts on children programmes and before 8.00P.M on radio and Television and not citing condom ads on billboards near places of worship, schools or hospital.

A peep into APCON directive: It is interesting to note that Ekuno did not make any reference to the fact that this January, 6.1million Nigerians are now estimated to be living with the HIV virus, almost doubling the earlier figure of 3.5million, and that despite several warning messages, sexual debut among youths is on the increase while more women are getting infected as wives in their homes.

By saying condom ads should not be cited in places of worship, schools or hospitals, what APCON is invariably saying is that condom ads should not be erected at all in Nigeria. This view is reinforced by the fact that there are places of worship on almost all the streets in Nigeria. It is a fact that religion is undoubtedly the fastest growing industry in our country! Even where there are no worship centers on a street, there is bound to be a hospital or a school.

It will also look like a disservice to prevent condom ads on the airwaves during the peak periods as has been indicated.

This directive will be seen to be antithetical to the gains that have been recorded with the fact that more Nigerians now readily use the condom and the reality that the condom appears to be the most effective method of HIV/AIDS prevention as abstinence and sexual fidelity has been found to be mere ideals in most societies.