LAGOS,(Xinhua) Expenditure on advertisement in Nigeria may hit 100 billion naira (about 862.1 million U.S. dollars) in 2007 up from the 50 billion naira (about 431.1 million U.S. dollars) recorded in 2008, according to an official with the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). Garba Kankarofi, the registrar of APCON, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the projection for the year was 80 billion naira (about 689.66 million U.S. dollars), but added that indications showed that the sector would record 100 billion naira (about 862.1 million U.S. dollars).

He said 60 percent of the advertising was done in the Lagos area while the rest of the country accounted for the rest 40 percent, while the biggest spenders are telecommunication companies. Kankarofi expressed unease on the influx of foreign firms into Nigeria’s advertising sub-sector without measures to protect the country’s practitioners and agencies, citing the overwhelming influence of South African based firms in the industry.

The registrar advocated greater Nigerian content in all forms of advertisements targeted at the country’s market.He said there had been significant improvement in the level of compliance to advertising regulations among advertisers and agencies alike.

The registrar said that cases of disregard of some of the regulations still persisted, especially in the area of security approval for advertisements prior to exposure and engagement of non-registered persons in advertising functions.