- The minister of information stated only NBC has legal rights to suspend or revoke broadcast licences in Nigeria.
- Niger governor had directed the police to seal Badeggi FM for allegedly inciting public unrest against the government.
The minister of information, Muhammad Idris, has clarified that only the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) possesses the legal authority to suspend or revoke broadcasting licences in Nigeria.
This comes after the governor of Niger state, Umar Bago, ordered the shutdown of Badeggi FM radio station in Minna over allegations of inciting violence against the government.
Bologi Ibrahim, who is the chief press secretary to the governor, announced in a statement on Friday that the station had consistently engaged in unethical broadcasting practices.
The statement further accused the owner of Badeggi FM of encouraging public unrest by promoting anti-government sentiments through the station’s programmes.
Governor Bago directed the state commissioner of police to seal off the radio station and called for the immediate revocation of its broadcasting licence.
Reacting to the development, Rabiu Ibrahim, special assistant on media to the information minister, said the ministry had taken note of concerns raised by media stakeholders over the governor’s actions.
He emphasised that by law, it is only the NBC that has the statutory mandate to suspend or revoke broadcast licences in the country.
“While acknowledging the concerns raised, the Ministry notes that the suspension of broadcasting licenses falls within the purview of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as stipulated by law,” Idris said in the statement.
He added that the ministry welcomes the Niger state government’s decision to formally escalate the issue to the NBC for necessary action.
The minister urged all parties involved to maintain calm, assuring that the NBC will handle the matter with fairness and impartiality.
Badeggi FM 90.1, which is based in Minna, was established in 2020 by Shuaibu Badeggi as a privately-owned radio station.
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