By Ado Salisu
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.
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.
Other members of the tribunal include Musa Ahmed Attah (SAN), Merga Tyowanan Kachina Esq., Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, and the former Director General of Abubakar Rimi Television ARTV, 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.
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.
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.
