Director General of NBC
The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Shehu Ilelah announced at a media briefing in Abuja on February 9, 2023, that the Commission has sanctioned 302 broadcast stations for various infringements of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and fined 17 broadcast stations since the 2023 presidential campaigns commenced in September 2022
Mallam Ilelah made this disclosure at a media briefing in Abuja on February 9, 2023, saying
Giving the breakdown of the stations sanctioned, Mrs. Franca Ayitor, Director NBC Broadcast Management, said NBC warned 196 stations; cautioned 69; queried 13; and referred nine stations to its headquarters across the country.
Mrs Ayitor alleged that the affected stations did not follow the guidelines for political programming content and quality which were prepared by the Commission and shared with the stations.
President Buhari, according to Mallam Ilelah, has authorised NBC to acquire cutting-edge Nationwide Broadcast Monitoring Equipment.
“Acquisition of the equipment is in the process and if finally acquired the Commission will get to have Ultra-Modern Artificial Intelligence-driven Central Monitoring infrastructure,” he said.
He added that the Buhari administration has approved NBC’s request to recruit more staff that will monitor broadcast stations in every nook and cranny adding that the Commission’s drive to further professionalize the broadcasting industry has motivated it to establish the Nigeria Broadcast Institute for the training of industry players.
According to him, President Buhari has approved NBC’s independence from political interference in the exercise of its regulatory functions, particularly the issuance and withdrawal of broadcasting licenses.
While calling on broadcasters to continue to abide by the NBC Act, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Electoral Act, and all extant laws that guide media operation in the count down to the general elections, he also disclosed that: “The Commission has deployed all the technical and operational facilities for the monitoring of the elections.”
“To ensure quality broadcast during elections, no locality in Nigeria where a broadcast station exists will be left unmonitored during the elections,” Mallam Ilelah added.
The NBC DG however did not disclose the names of the broadcast stations which the Commission sanctioned.
