Stakeholders Urged to Embrace the Advertising Offences Tribunal

In a bid to deepen understanding of Nigeria’s evolving advertising regulatory framework, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), in partnership with the Nigerian Bar Association’s Lawyers in the Media (NBA-LIM), held a critical Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, themed “The Nigerian Advertising Law: The Role of the Advertising Offences Tribunal (AOT)”. The event, held at the Sheba Events Centre in Ikeja, drew legal luminaries, industry practitioners and regulatory stakeholders, to deliberate on enforcement, compliance, and innovation in the advertising sector.

The Keynote Address was delivered by Chief Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who framed the challenges and opportunities inherent in transitioning from a primarily voluntary compliance regime, to one anchored by judicial backing through the AOT. He called on all stakeholders’ advertisers, legal practitioners, regulatory agencies and the media, to see the tribunal not as a punitive instrument, but as a mechanism for fairness, accountability, and industry growth.

In the Panel discussion that followed, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON, affirmed that the Council sees stakeholder engagement as foundational not optional. “This Town Hall Meeting is part of our broader effort to institutionalise dialogue, transparency, and compliance across the entire advertising value chain”, he said. He emphasised that the AOT must balance deterrence with due process, and that the regime should foster an environment where creativity is protected, but consumer rights and public interest are not compromised.

Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, representing the NBA and legal stakeholders, underscored the Judiciary’s pivotal role in legitimising regulatory action under the law. He urged courts to uphold the tribunal’s judgements, and urged ARCON to ensure robust procedural safeguards. Barrister Charles Odenigbo, from the Centre for Media Law and Development, cautioned that the enforcement mechanisms must not stifle freedom of expression, or disproportionately penalise emerging voices in media and advertising.

Mr Lanre Adisa, Chairman of the Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups (HASG), brought the perspective of industry practitioners. He welcomed the AOT as a step toward clarity and predictability in regulatory enforcement, but stressed that fairness, consistent application, and stakeholder inclusion would be key to its acceptance. However, he also voiced concern over the exclusion of some major industry bodies from the event, remarking that the absence of direct representation could weaken the legitimacy of any outcomes.

The consensus was that the AOT, if properly operationalised, could raise the credibility and effectiveness of Nigeria’s advertising regulation regime. As one senior attendee put it: “We move today not just toward enforcement, but toward a more mature, accountable advertising sector”.