The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and regulators from 25 federating states have agreed to adopt a unified advertising framework aimed at restructuring the country’s gaming industry and curbing illegal operators.

The agreement was formalised on Monday in Abuja when ARCON signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federating States Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN).

The Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo, signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government, while the Chairman of FSGRN, Bashir Are, represented the participating states.

The initiative intends to streamline advertising and marketing communications within the lottery and gaming sector.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Fadolapo said the partnership’s primary objective is to establish a unified and coherent regulatory framework for the gaming industry, which requires consistent collaboration among stakeholders.

He explained that the agreement would address regulatory overlaps and eliminate challenges created by fragmented or “silo” approaches to industry oversight.

According to him, ARCON has identified key regulatory touchpoints to ensure the new framework benefits both industry operators and the general public.

Fadolapo added that while certain regulatory powers are constitutionally reserved for the Federal Government, the gaming sector often overlaps with state interests, creating governance challenges.

“As a federal agency with oversight powers, cooperation with the states is essential to sanitise the industry and protect the national economy,” he said.

In his remarks, Are described the agreement as a practical demonstration of federalism in action.

He noted that the collaboration aligns with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy direction, which encourages stronger cooperation between federal and state institutions.

Are explained that most gaming operators advertise through television, radio, and digital platforms, which fall under federal advertising regulation, making a formal partnership necessary to ensure effective industry regulation.

He added that similar collaborative frameworks exist in other federal systems across the world.

According to him, countries such as Switzerland, Canada, and the United States operate comparable models where state authorities work in partnership with central governments to regulate the gaming sector.

The Federating States Gaming Regulators of Nigeria currently comprises regulators from Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Ebonyi, Gombe, and Imo states.

Other participating states include Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, and Taraba. (The Nation)

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