FGN Empowers ARCON Advertising Offences Tribunal For Swift Justice

FGN Empowers ARCON Advertising Offences Tribunal For Swift Justice.                                                                                                                        By: Ogunseye Yusuf Olawale

The Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Olalekan Olumuyiwa Fadolapo, has described the newly constituted five-member Advertising Offences Tribunal (AOT) chaired by Justice Cecilia M. A. Olatoregun on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Radio House, Abuja as a major step in strengthening professionalism, regulation and compliance in the Nigeria advertising  and marketing communications industry.

Inaugurating the  new tribunal in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris emphasised that Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN)  recognised advertising as more than the promotion of products and services, describing it as a powerful communication instrument capable of contributing significantly to economic growth, employment, innovation and investment.

The Minister echoed that the Advertising Offences Tribunal, established under Section 37(1) of the Act, would provide a specialised mechanism for adjudicating offences within the advertising ecosystem.

He said: “The establishment of the Tribunal reflects a clear legislative intention: that offences within the advertising ecosystem should be addressed through a specialised mechanism capable of delivering justice efficiently, fairly, and without unnecessary delay,”

In his remarks, the Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, said the regulator had already recorded progress in recovering outstanding payments owed to media organisations.

The Director- General said: “In the last one year, ARCON, as a regulatory body, has been able to resolve over N3 billion  in media debt, allowing media houses to receive payments that had previously remained outstanding.”

The Chairman of the Advertising Offences Tribunal (AOT), Honourable Justice Cecilia M. A. Olatoregun, pledged that the new panel would discharge its responsibilities with integrity, fairness and professionalism.

Members of the Tribunal are Musa Ahmed Attah, SAN; Merga Tyowanan Kachina Esq; Dr. Ken Onyeali Ikpe, frpa; and Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim, rpa.

Operating under Section 37(1) of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Act No. 23 of 2022, the AOT holds the exclusive legal power to impose fines, penalties, and adjudicate advertising infractions.

The inauguration was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary of Information and National Orientation, Dr Binyerem Ukaire; the Director, Public Communication and National Orientation, Henshaw Ogubike; the Director, Public Relations and Protocol, Rabiu Ibrahim, mnipr Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National OrientationSuleiman Haruna, PhD; the Special Assistant (Admin) to the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Dr Sunday Baba, among other dignitaries.