Examination of Advertising Ethics and Consumer Perceptions in the Nigerian Food Industry

Advertising ethics in the Nigerian food industry has come under scrutiny following documented instances of misleading nutritional claims, deceptive pricing communication, and the targeting of vulnerable consumers including children with inappropriate food advertisements. This study examined ethical concerns in food advertising and consumer perceptions of advertising honesty in the Nigerian food industry. A descriptive survey was conducted among 300 adult consumers in Ibadan, Oyo State, who regularly purchased packaged food products. A structured questionnaire assessed recall of specific food advertisements, perceptions of accuracy in nutritional claims, emotional manipulation concerns, and attitudes toward regulatory oversight of food advertising. Results showed that 62.3 percent of respondents believed that Nigerian food advertisements frequently contained misleading or exaggerated claims. Concerns about false health benefit claims were most prominent (68.7 percent), followed by concerns about portion size deception (54.3 percent) and misleading pricing communication (48.3 percent). Awareness of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria's code of ethics was low, at only 21.3 percent of respondents. Trust in food advertising was significantly lower among respondents with tertiary education. The study concludes that consumer trust in Nigerian food advertising is eroding due to perceived ethical violations, and recommends that APCON strengthen enforcement mechanisms, mandate nutritional claim verification, and develop consumer education campaigns about food advertising rights.

Keywords: advertising ethics, consumer perceptions, food advertising, APCON, Nigeria