The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued a forceful warning to marketers and content creators, announcing an intensified campaign against the proliferation of fraudulent, AI-generated advertisements circulating on social media.
During a press briefing at its Lagos headquarters, ARCON’s Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, lamented the “porous” state of Nigeria’s digital advertising space and vowed to bring perpetrators of deceptive ad campaigns to justice.
At the media parley, Dr. Fadolapo underscored the alarming rise in online ads that peddle bogus claims—many of which promise miraculous cures or implausible returns on investment.
“Our social media space has become so porous that people now freely post fake adverts, some of which claim outrageous and bogus benefits,” he remarked.
The Director-General highlighted how unscrupulous operators exploit artificial intelligence tools to craft convincing-looking advertisements, often with no credible source or accountability to back their assertions.
Among the most disturbing examples cited by Dr. Fadolapo was an herbal remedy advertisement claiming to cure over 200 ailments—ranging from HIV to cancer—without any scientific backing.
“Imagine an advert claiming that a single herbal drug could cure HIV, cancer, and more than 200 other diseases,” he said.
“Yet nobody is there to verify these claims. They cannot do this in other countries without facing dire consequences, but here in Nigeria, they flout societal and cultural norms all in the name of promoting fake drugs.”
Dr. Fadolapo stressed that such misleading advertisements not only endanger public health but also erode consumer trust in legitimate businesses.
He reiterated ARCON’s commitment: “We are putting everyone on notice: anyone caught behind these AI-generated fake advertisements will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
To illustrate the human cost of lax digital oversight, the DG referenced a recent large-scale scam centered on a fictitious investment platform known as CBEX.
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According to Dr. Fadolapo, the CBEX scheme purportedly defrauded unsuspecting Nigerians of nearly $2 trillion through slick, unregulated social media promotions.
“The CBEX case is a painful reminder of what can happen when digital platforms are left unchecked,” he said. “We cannot fold our arms while technology is weaponized to defraud innocent Nigerians.”
In response to these challenges, ARCON announced that it will intensify its real-time monitoring of online advertisements, leveraging both automated tools and human review to detect and flag suspicious content.
Dr. Fadolapo further called on tech companies, advertisers, and the general public to collaborate with ARCON in the battle against digital advertising fraud.
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“We need all stakeholders—platform operators, advertisers, and even consumers—to play their part,” he said. “If tech companies tighten their onboarding processes for advertisers, and if consumers remain vigilant about the sources of these ads, we can significantly reduce the circulation of harmful content.”
Concluding the parley, Dr. Fadolapo reassured Nigerians that ARCON remains steadfast in its mission to sanitize the advertising environment and protect consumers.
He emphasized that as new technologies—particularly AI—continue to reshape media and marketing industries, regulators must adapt swiftly. “ARCON will not relent,” he asserted. “Our goal is to ensure that digital advertising in Nigeria is transparent, ethical, and safe for all. Misleading and harmful content will not be tolerated.”
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