9Mobile in Trouble as ARCON Probes N1 Billion Advertising Debt Amid Shut Down Rumours

• The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has disclosed that it is probing 9Mobile over an alleged N1 billion advertising debt
• The agency said it received a petition from advertising agencies saying that 9Mobile disengaged them without settling outstanding obligations
• ARCON said the alleged debt constitutes misconduct and a potential violation of Nigeria’s advertising codes

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) says it is investigating an alleged N1 billion advertising debt against 9Mobile following a petition.

According to ARCON’s statement, the alleged petition was filed by advertising companies, claiming that Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited, trading as 9Mobile, failed to settle payments for services rendered and engaged new agencies without resolving old debts.

ARCON to engage anti-graft agencies

ARCON described the alleged misconduct as a potential violation of the Nigerian advertising tenets, warning of severe industry-wide consequences.

ARCON said:

“It was also alleged that while 9mobile refused to pay or resolve its indebtedness to the agencies, it has gone ahead to brief other agencies to continue its advertising and advertisement business with impunity,” the statement reads.

The regulator disclosed that it would probe if 9Mobile followed due process in disengaging previous agencies when transitioning to new ones and whether there were possible breaches of ethical codes.

It added that advertising debts are beyond agencies.

According to reports, advertising agencies mostly belong to media houses and third-party vendors and suppliers who are significantly affected by the indebtedness, with wider effects on their cash flow and operations.

ARCON disclosed that it would partner with ant-graft agencies to ensure a full investigation and debts’ resolution, saying that it reeks of economic sabotage.

9Mobile may be sanctioned if found culpable

TheCable reports that ARCON stressed that the advertising industry’s official payment ceiling remains 45 days and promised to clamp down on practices encouraging unethical competition and unfair advantage.

ARCON stated:

“The council will take all necessary actions to eradicate unethical competition and ensure compliance with the Advertising Industry Standard of Practice (AISOP), including adherence to the 45-day credit policy.”

The telecommunication company is a member of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), whose members are expected to abide by the advertising regulations and contractual obligations in the industry.

9Mobile has yet to react to the allegations as of the time of this report.

9Mobile denies shut down rumours

Meanwhile, on March 22, 2025, the company debunked rumours that it was planning to shutdown its operations in Nigeria.

9Mobile disclosed in a statement, describing the claims as false and misleading, stating that they were aimed at causing panic among its subscribers.

The telcom firm has been on the spotlight recently for network outages, which leaves subscribers without services for days.

Responding to the outages, the company agreed that it has faced technical challenges affecting porting services, but the issues are now being resolved.

“Some minor delays may still occur due to ongoing system optimizations, but we are actively working to ensure a smoother experience for all users,” 9Mobile said.

NCC orders compensate customers for network outages

Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a new directive, ordering telecom companies to compensate customers when a major service disruption lasts longer than 24 hours.

The commission issued the directive on Sunday, May 25, 2025, saying that affected customers have yet to receive commensurate compensation, including service validity extensions in line with the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations.

According to the reports, the new regulation applies to mobile network operators, internet service providers, and operators delivering last-mile service nationwide.

Source: Legit.ng