Facebook Nigeria, ARCON N60B Fine: Court Sets Date for Verdict
By Our Editor
The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed May 14, 2026, for the judgment in the legal dispute between Facebook Nigeria Operations Limited (FNOL) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) over a N60 billion fine.
The case, filed under FHC/L/CS/2205/2024, challenges ARCON’s authority to impose fines on FNOL for alleged breaches of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act 2022 (ARCON Act).
ARCON had accused FNOL of displaying ads on Facebook and Instagram targeting the Nigerian market without approval from the Advertising Standards Panel, leading to the N60 billion fine.
FNOL maintains that it neither operates nor controls the platforms, which are managed by Meta Platforms, Inc. in the United States. The company is seeking a court declaration to nullify ARCON’s notice and prevent similar fines.
FNOL’s counsel, Mofesomo Tayo-Oyetibo, SAN, argued that imposing fines without a fair hearing violates both the Nigerian Constitution and the ARCON Act. He added that criminal sanctions can only be imposed by a court, not ARCON.
ARCON’s lawyer, O.S. Kehinde, countered that FNOL’s suit is incompetent, saying the matter is contentious and should be tried rather than resolved by an originating summons.
Justice Yelim Bogoro adjourned the case to May 14, 2026, for judgment.
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