The federal government has approved recommendations to review the National Broadcasting Code (NBC) and extant broadcasting laws.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Thursday that the measure was to insulate the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from undue political interference and exercise its regulatory powers, particularly with respect to the issuance and withdrawal of broadcasting license. The review of the National Broadcasting Code and extant broadcasting laws will now reflect the review of fines to be paid by erring broadcasting stations from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million for breaches relating to hate speeches, inciting comments and indecency. In the same light, the government also warned that wilful repeat of infractions on three occasions after imposing the fine on a station will lead to the suspension of the licence.
It has also appointed a seven-man reform implementation committee headed by Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, Director of Monitoring of the NBC, to design the framework for the implementation. Mohammed said the recommendations to strengthen the NBC’s regulatory role were submitted on April 24, 2019 by a five man committee, inaugurated on April 10, 2019, after President Buhari at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on March 27, 2019, directed an inquiry into the conduct of some broadcast stations before and during the last general elections.