The Federal Government says it has recovered over N3 billion in outstanding debts owed to media organisations and is taking steps to ensure advertisers meet their financial obligations to media houses.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in Abuja during the inauguration of a five-member Advertising Offences Tribunal, describing the recovery as a major milestone in efforts to strengthen accountability within Nigeria’s advertising industry.
Idris said the government would no longer tolerate situations where individuals and organisations place advertisements in newspapers, radio stations, television stations and other media platforms without paying for the services rendered.
According to him, the practice of accumulating advertising debts has negatively affected media organisations and threatened the livelihoods of workers who depend on the industry.
“The era of anybody going to place adverts and then refusing to pay media organisations is now behind us,” the minister stated.
He explained that the newly inaugurated tribunal was designed to promote fairness, discipline and compliance within the advertising sector rather than serve as a punitive institution.
Idris noted that advertisers have a responsibility to honour contractual obligations, while the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) must continue to ensure that advertising content aligns with national values and development goals.
The minister described the advertising industry as a critical contributor to economic growth and employment, stressing that reforms in the sector would benefit practitioners, advertisers, media organisations and consumers alike.
Earlier, ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, revealed that the recovered debts were previously regarded as difficult to recover but were successfully reclaimed through the council’s regulatory and enforcement mechanisms.
Fadolapo said advertising revenue remains a major source of income for many media organisations and plays a vital role in sustaining operations across the industry.
He also disclosed that the council had intensified efforts to promote local content and encourage the use of Nigerian talents in advertising campaigns targeted at the domestic market.
The newly inaugurated tribunal, established under the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act 2022, is chaired by retired Justice Cecilia Olatoregun.
Speaking on behalf of the panel, Olatoregun pledged to uphold transparency, fairness and justice in the discharge of its responsibilities.
The government expressed optimism that the tribunal would strengthen confidence in the advertising ecosystem and help create a more accountable and sustainable industry.
