Regulations hinder sponsorship for events —Baba Sadiq

WHEN the myriad of challenges facing event organisers are listed, lack of sponsorship leads and founder of 3Music Awards, Abdullai Abu Sadiq, popularly known as Baba Sadiq, blames regulations from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for that.

The regulations make it difficult for certain companies to lend their support to events and as a result, mediocrity has become the order of the day for some otherwise very good initiatives while other events have virtually vanished into oblivion.

Explaining further when he sat down with Graphic Showbiz after the launch of the maiden Guinness Accravaganza event in Accra recently, Baba Sadiq said directives from FDA prevented the use of celebrities in the promotion of certain products such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes.

According to him, celebrities were not permitted to promote alcoholic beverages, cigarettes among others via any medium thus making it difficult for such companies who were major sponsors of events some time ago come on board these days.

“This means that you cannot do a billboard with a celeb endorsing an alcoholic beverage for an event”.

“The issue is, the FDA is always coming out with different regulations and to play it safe, potential sponsors will not get involved with events to later face any problems with the FDA,” he said.

Baba Sadiq believes there should be a way out for events not to struggle because of such regulations from FDA.

“I understand the decision by FDA not to get minors influenced by celebrities who endorse such products but something can be done about it because events are folding up because of lack of sponsorship.” 

“Sponsorship plays a major role in this show business so there should be a way out because the industry is really suffering,” he stated.

Meanwhile, a few years ago, Head of Industry Support Services Department of the FDA, Mr Kofi Essel, told Graphic Showbiz the authority banned alcoholic beverage companies from sponsoring some particular events due to some worrying occurrences that took place at certain events.    

“Just take a look at what happened at the concert at Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi some years ago, where a lot of revellers in their teens got so drunk and couldn’t do anything than to sleep on the ground. We just want to prevent such things from happening,” Mr Essel said.

Moving forward, the FDA is asking any company or individual seeking sponsorship from alcoholic beverage companies for their events to first write to them.

“The FDA will assess whether it is okay or not for alcoholic beverage companies to sponsor when they are in the know of such events. Without that we will process any individual or company for court if an alcoholic beverage company sponsors an event involving minors,” he revealed.