FG inaugurates advertising offences tribunal to enforce ARCON Act

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Advertising Offences Tribunal, a new adjudicatory body established to strengthen regulation, enhance professionalism, and promote accountability within Nigeria’s advertising and marketing communications industry.

The tribunal was inaugurated on Tuesday in Abuja by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, as part of efforts to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Act 2022.

Speaking at the inauguration, Idris said the ARCON Act No. 23 of 2022 expanded the regulatory powers of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria and created the Advertising Offences Tribunal to hear and determine offences arising from breaches of the Act, advertising regulations, and industry codes.

What they are saying

Idris described the inauguration as a significant milestone in the drive to build a more professional, ethical, and responsible advertising industry.

The minister urged members of the tribunal, led by Honourable Justice Cecilia M. A. Olatoregun, to discharge their responsibilities with fairness, independence, and integrity.

• “Every matter that comes before you should be considered on its merits, without fear or favour, affection or ill will. The Tribunal must be, and must be seen to be, a fair and impartial institution.
• “Let us build an advertising industry that commands creativity, earns trust, and upholds responsibility,” Idris said.

He also congratulated the chairman and members of the tribunal, assuring them of the Federal Government’s continued support for ARCON and initiatives aimed at positioning Nigeria’s advertising sector as globally competitive.

Earlier, ARCON Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, described the tribunal as a landmark development for the Nigerian advertising industry.

According to him, the tribunal is the first of its kind globally and demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment not only to regulating advertising through legislation but also to establishing institutional mechanisms for enforcement and dispute resolution.

• “The Advertising Offences Tribunal is a big opportunity for the Nigerian advertising industry. It is the first of its kind in the world because Nigeria has taken a proactive step not only to legislate on advertising, but also to put structures and frameworks in place,” Fadolapo said.

In her remarks, Justice Olatoregun pledged that members of the tribunal would carry out their duties with professionalism, impartiality, and dedication.

• “It is a great honour to be called upon to serve our country, and we take this responsibility very seriously. You have asked us to work with integrity, and that is what we are going to do,” she said.

Get up to speed  

One of the high-profile drivers for the tribunal was a fierce legal battle between ARCON and Meta Platforms.

ARCON had accused Meta of exposing unvetted and unapproved advertisements to the Nigerian market via Facebook and Instagram, demanding an administrative fine of N60 billion.

Aggrieved by the notice, Facebook Nigeria, through its counsel, Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo (SAN), approached the court, arguing that ARCON lacked the legal authority to determine criminal liability or impose punitive sanctions through an administrative notice without first giving the company an opportunity to be heard.

In his judgement delivered on June 18, 2026, Justice Yellim Bogoro held that ARCON acted outside the powers conferred on it by law and violated the company’s constitutional right to fair hearing before issuing the sanction.

The judge consequently declared ARCON’s Notice of Violation/Demand for Compliance dated October 21, 2024, unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void, and restrained the regulator from taking further steps to enforce it against Facebook Nigeria.

Justice Bogoro also ruled that ARCON lacks the statutory authority to impose fines for alleged criminal violations under the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act, 2022, without a prior conviction by a court or other competent tribunal.

More details

Other members of the tribunal include Musa Ahmed Attah (SAN), Merga Tyowanan Kachina Esq., Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, and Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim.

The tribunal was established under the ARCON Act as an independent specialised judicial body tasked with ensuring fairness, transparency, and speedy resolution of disputes and offences arising from advertising practices in Nigeria.

The Tribunal will advocate speedy hearing and timely resolution of all matters before it.

What you should know

This came shortly after ARCON implemented mandatory vetting for social media advertisements and the requirement for influencers, bloggers, and digital content creators to obtain regulatory approval before advertising products and services online.

Its inauguration comes amid heightened regulatory oversight by ARCON.

The council has argued that stricter enforcement is necessary to protect consumers, improve industry standards, and curb the proliferation of unvetted advertisements across digital platforms.