President Muhammadu Buhari has approved 67 new broadcast licenses for the Broadcasting industry in Nigeria. This was made known by the Director General, NBC, Mall. Balarabe Shehu Ilelah at the first quarter press parley on NBC scorecard.
Mall. Ilelah, while briefing the press on the Commission’s achievements in 2022, noted that there are a total number of 740 functional broadcast stations in Nigeria. He added that President Buhari has also approved for the independence of the NBC from any political interference in the exercise of its regulatory functions, particularly with respect to the issuance and withdrawal of broadcast license.
The NBC boss, added that the President, also approved for the Commission to aquire state of the art nation wide broadcast monitoring equipment for effective monitoring of the broadcast airwaves.
While speaking on the Digital Switch Over project, Mall. Ilelah noted that President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to support the Digital Switch Over in spite of the inherent implementation challenges. Adding, that the NBC is currently working on the simultaneous delivery of the life changing experience of Digital Broadcasting to Nigeria using the SIMULCRYPT system. Also, the DG noted that the board of the Commission has approved the recommendation for the licensing of a third national carrier.
The Director General also used the opportunity of the parley to inform the press men of the Commission’s drive to further professionalize the broadcasting industry which has motivated it to establish the Nigeria Broadcast Institute, NBI, for the training of industry players. Each broadcaster according to the DG, is expected to pass through the Institute.
Mall. Balarabe Shehu Ilelah called on all broadcasters to continue to abide by the NBC Act, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the electoral Act and other extant laws that guides media operations in Nigeria as we count down to the 2023 general elections.
The NBC Chief, in conclusion, urged broadcasters not to give their platforms to politicians to truncate the nation. Adding that the commission has deployed all technical and operational facilities for the monitoring of the elections. This he said, was to ensure quality broadcast of the elections and for this reason, no locality in Nigeria where a broadcast station exists will be left unmonitored during the elections.
He further called on licensees who are yet to pay their outstanding debts to do so without any delay.
2023-02-11