Former ARTV DG, Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim, appointed member
By Ado Salisu
The Federal Government has inaugurated the Advertising Offences Tribunal, a new adjudicatory body established to strengthen regulation, promote professionalism and enhance accountability in 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 ceremony, Idris said the ARCON Act No. 23 of 2022 expanded the regulatory powers of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria and established the Advertising Offences Tribunal to hear and determine offences arising from breaches of the Act, advertising regulations and industry codes.
He urged members of the tribunal, led by 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.
The minister congratulated the chairman and members of the tribunal and assured them of the Federal Government’s continued support for ARCON and initiatives aimed at positioning Nigeria’s advertising sector for global competitiveness.
Earlier, the ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, described the tribunal as a landmark development for the Nigerian advertising industry.
Fadolapo said the tribunal was the first of its kind globally, adding that it demonstrated 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,” he 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 are Musa Ahmed Attah, SAN; Merga Tyowanan Kachina, Esq.; Dr Ken Onyeali Ikpe; and former Director-General of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), Hajia Sa’a Ibrahim.
Established under the ARCON Act, the tribunal is an independent specialised judicial body tasked with ensuring fairness, transparency and speedy resolution of disputes and offences arising from advertising practices in Nigeria.
The development comes shortly after ARCON introduced mandatory vetting for social media advertisements and required influencers, bloggers and digital content creators to obtain regulatory approval before advertising products and services online.
The council has maintained that stricter enforcement is necessary to protect consumers, improve industry standards and curb the proliferation of unvetted advertisements across digital platforms.
