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1. A GROUP PRESENTATION
ON
TOPIC:
PAINSTAKINGLYASSESS ADVERTISING OF
ORTHODOX AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
PRODUCT IN THE NIGERIA MEDIA USING
ATLEAST TWO ADVERTS AS CASE STUDIES,
WHILE JUXTAPOSING IT WITH THE
ADVERTISING CODE
COURSE TITLE:
ADVERTISING CASE STUDIES
LECTURER:
MR IBRAHIM FATOYINBO

2. INTRODUCTION
• Unorthodox or Alternative medicine is any practice
that aims to achieve the healing effects
of medicine despite lacking biological
plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence
from clinical trials. Herbal medicine, according to
National Herbalists Association of Australia, is the
oldest and still the most widely used system of
medicine in the world today. It is the use of plants
(herbs) to treat disease and enhance wellbeing. Herbal
medicine can be modified based on culture, tribe,
social and religious values to meet the health need of
people

3. ADVERTS BREACHING ADVERTISING CODES
PUFFERY AND FAKE CLAIMS IN UNORTHODOX MEDICINES ADVERT
Herbal medicines are still commonly sold by practitioners and their agents virtually
without adequate restriction and regulation. In fact, a great deal of informality still
exists. In other words, the traditional herbal medical practitioners follow very informal
and highly varied protocols in advertising and distributing their products. These poses
a grave danger to the health of members of the public.
In the below samples and adverts of Jigsimur plus and sule alagunmu, the unorthodox
medicines claim to proffer solutions to a wide range of diseases, including HIV/AIDS
and cancer.
The audio attached to this presentation includes a radio advert on Tungba where a
woman and a man engage in a conversation about their experience using a product
called “Global new herbal life” which mentioned how it helped to provide cure for
certain illnesses and at the same increases libido and prevent and arrest hair loss
The second audio was an advert of a product called “Pelorie” which increases libido
and sexual capability in men. Another product called “Turaka” for both genders for
certain illnesses. It also stated that people should come to him for diagnosis.

5. COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATION
• The above adverts specify that the product proffer a cure to HIV/AIDS and cancer which have
been known to medically have no cure. This however goes against Article 66(b) which states
cures to such diseases should not be advertised unless proven by NAFDAC. The advert by
Jigsimurplus also claims to provide solution to weak erection and sexual weakness, also
breaching the advertising code of Article 52(e) stating no product should claim to increase
sexual libido or correct sexual weakness.The symptoms can only be mitigated.
The above products claims to have solutions to illness that have not been scientifically
proven, one wonders how the product has a NAFDAC number, can we say the product uses a
fake NAFDAC number, because it must have been presented for approval to NAFDAC to
confirm it actually provides cure to the above illnesses before receiving a NAFDAC number. It
simply proves that there is no regulation when it comes to unorthodox adverts and their
claims.
Also, the code states no advert should claim its product has no side effect unless medically
proven, however research has shown that most of these herbal products have side effects.
The use of the word “Natural” in Jigsimur’s advert to justify its safety is against Article 52(e)
of the advertising codes which states such words should not be used to make a product
appear ‘safe’ for consumption.
• The radio adverts were guilty of the above offences as well, they made mention of claims
which were not proven and also mentioned the ability of the product to increase libido of
men, going against the Article 52(h) of the advertising codes about products advertisements
making claims on increasing libido and correcting sexual weakness. The lady in the advert on
‘global new herbal life mentioned the advert helping her to avoid hair-loss which also goes
against article 57 about making claims about hair and scalp treatment without adequate
proof.
NAFDAC and APCON should strive hard in ensuring that both online and broadcast adverts of
unorthodox medicines are scrutinized before approval and also defaulters should be
sanctioned as a deterrent to others.

6. USE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND CELEBRITIES
TO ENDORSE UNORTHODOX MEDICINES
• In the advert by Yoyo bitters, medical practioners were
seen to give details about the function of Yoyo bitters
and its contribution to general health. The advert
extensively discussed the various health benefits of
using Yoyo bitters and its natural ingredients promoting
wellness. This advert aired on stations like Lagos
Television and MITV in the early 2000s
• Asiwaju herbal mixture also used various celebrities to
endorse their products talking about the content of the
product and how people would benefit from it. One of
them was Kunle Afod

8. • RELATED ADVERTISING CODES
• Article 53
• (h)Advertisers shall not use health professionals or
celebrities to endorse medicines;
• COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATION
• From the above adverts, we can see that the use of
celebrity and health professionals endorsement which goes
against the advertising code, under article which bans the
use of medical or health professionals to endorse medical
products. The implication was that the product gives some
sort of false trust or confidence to the viewers who believe
the products have passed through medical and professional
scrutiny and is being used in orthodox medicine practice.
• This also proves that the agency has a lot to do in ensuring
the content of adverts conforms to previous codes and
laws. The Yoyo bitters advert aired severally and APCON did
nothing to sanction or take the adverts down. Its time
APCON started taking its role as a regulatory body seriously.

9. USE OF SKITS AND INSTAGRAM
COMEDIANS AS ADVERT MEDIUM
• Mc remote advert on ‘Asiwaju Herbal Mixture’
• In this advert, a comedian walks up to a neighbor’s window
and talks to him about having a prophetic vision of his ‘sex
life’. The neighbor eventually gives birth to several children,
eventually impregnating even the pastor’s wife.
• Sydney Talker Advert On ‘Minnie’s Herbs’
• In this advert, the comedian Sydney Talker is sitting in a car
with his girlfriend. She sexually teases him and asks him to
meet her inside. Unknown to him, her family was inside
and she wanted to introduce him to them but he had taken
‘Minnie’s Herbs” anticipating sexual advances between
them. Eventually she sits on his leg and his manhood is
aroused and she gets pregnant instantly.

11. • RELATED ADVERTISING CODES
• Article 4 : Sexuality
• Advertisements shall not exploit, depict, or suggest sexual behaviour either in obvious or
implied context.
• Article 14 : Religion
• Advertisements shall not disparage or exploit religious belief, mislead people, or employ
miracles as a bait to elicit patronage. Advertisements promoting a particular faith or belief
shall not offend the right of people to hold contrary belief or conviction.
• COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATION
• In the Asiwaju advert by MC remote, the comedian posed as a man of God and claimed to
have seen a prophetic vision into the ‘sex life’ of his neighbor, claiming he has a very poor
libido. This simple conversation ridicules the Christian religion, as it was distasteful for a
supposed ‘Man of God’ to make such statements. This goes Article 14 of general product
advertising code of APCON about exploiting religious belief or offending people who practice
a particular religion. The advert also involved the comedian describing sexual activity verbally
which many would deem offensive.
• In the second advert by Sydney talker, the code which goes against obscenity and
exaggeration was breached. The portray and visualization of the comedian’s manhood is
offensive and should not have been employed in the advert of a medicinal product. The
advert is however, offensive and the contents should not have been painted in such a sensual
and sexual manner.
• APCON has failed to sanction these manufacturers and sellers of these alternative medicines
and this has led to more adverts like these finding their way to various media