PR Expert, Opayemi Advocates for Fused Regulator to Reflect Industry Convergence

LAGOS, Nigeria – Israel Jaiye Opayemi, Chief Executive Officer of leading public relations firm Chain Reactions Africa, has called for the merger of Nigeria’s advertising and public relations regulatory bodies. This, he argues, is essential to keep pace with the ongoing convergence of marketing communication professions.

Speaking as a guest on the C-Suite Café podcast hosted by veteran journalist Ikem Okuhu, Opayemi stated that the current separation of regulators is becoming outdated. He highlighted that PR agencies are increasingly handling projects that were traditionally the domain of advertising firms, which could soon lead to a situation where they require approvals from the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) for their campaigns.

He projected that regulatory harmonisation is the inevitable next step for the industry, foreseeing a future where the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and ARCON morph into a single, overarching regulatory body for the entire marketing communications sector.

“The age of convergence is here. We have been in it longer than we realise,” Opayemi stated, recalling a pivotal 2014 conference in Miami where the fusion of advertising, PR, and digital marketing was a central theme. “The works that were presented by PR agencies could pass for works from our A-list advertising agencies in Nigeria; they looked like TV commercials but were designed to tell stories and engage audiences.”

Opayemi pointed to the PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned) model in PR as evidence of this blurring of lines. He noted that the first pillar, ‘Paid Media,’ aligns directly with the core definition of advertising as a paid form of communication meant to elicit action.

To adapt to this new reality, Opayemi revealed that the skill set required in PR has drastically expanded. He advocated for the recruitment of diverse talents beyond traditional communications, including data analysts, sociologists, creative designers, infographic specialists, and even consumer neuroscientists.

“The beauty of convergence is in the diversity of skills it enables,” he explained. “We need different people coming from different backgrounds with diverse perspectives… They help the industry to see things from totally different angles and enable our output to be more impactful.”

This call for regulatory fusion underscores a significant shift in Nigeria’s marketing landscape, driven by evolving client demands and the need for integrated, multi-disciplinary communication strategies.