Nigerian Government has granted licences to 67 new broadcast licences for radio and television stations across the country, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mallam Balarabe Ilelah, announced Thursday.
Ilelah called on broadcasters to continue to abide by the NBC Act, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Electoral Act, and any extant law that guides media operations to ensure that the general election is free, fair and credible.
These new licences are coming less than three months to the end of the current regime, which according to industry critics, are parting gifts from the President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also read
- Indebtedness: NBC Revokes Silverbird, AIT, Raypower, 50 others’ Licences
- NBC queries Channels TV over Gov Ortom’s interview
- NBC Sanctions 21 Broadcast Stations
He called on the licensees that had yet to pay their outstanding debts to come forward and settle them.
Ilelah said the approval of the 67 broadcast licences would bring to a total of 473 licences granted by the Buhari regime.
Ilelah stated these during a media parley where he presented his scorecard in the past two years in office.
He said, ‘‘I have committed so much to repositioning the commission and making it an optimally productive regulator. The intrinsic democratic values in President Muhammadu Buhari have made him to be the President in the history of Nigeria that has granted approval for a hundred broadcast licences.’’
NBC sanctions 302 stations
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said it has sanctioned 302 stations in the last four months.
It also announced the approval of 67 licenses for new broadcast stations.
NBC Director General Malam Balarabe Shehu Ilelah stated these to reporters in Abuja.
Balarabe said from September 28, 2022 to January 31, 2023, out of the 740 current functional stations, 302 have been sanctioned by the commission for various offences.
According to the breakdown, 17 broadcast stations were fined for contravening the broadcast codes, 196 stations received warnings, 93 were reprimanded while 67 were cautioned.
On the newly approved licenses, Ilelah said the approval brings to 473 the number of licenses issued under President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the latest approval “is a great milestone in furthering pluralism and freedom of expression.”
