The Federal Government has approved 67 new broadcast licenses for radio and television stations across the country, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mallam Balarabe Ilelah, announced Thursday.
He also called on broadcasters to continue to abide by the NBC Act, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Electoral Act, and any other extant law that guides media operations to ensure that the general election is free, fair, and credible.
These new licenses are coming less than three months before the end of the current regime, which according to industry critics, are parting gifts from President Muhammadu Buhari.
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 licenses would bring the total granted by the Buhari regime to 473.
Ilelah stated these during a media parley where he presented his scorecard for 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 the first president in the history of Nigeria to grant approval for a hundred broadcast licenses.”
Ilelah, however, said the number was expected to grow with the anticipated approval of additional licenses by the President soon.
The NBC DG also revealed that 302 broadcast stations breached its code in the last two years.
He said the President had approved 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 broadcasting licenses.
Ilelah called on broadcasters to continue to cooperate with the Commission in abiding by the provisions guiding broadcast operations in Nigeria.
The DG also stated that the President gave approval for the commission to acquire state-of-the-art nationwide broadcast monitoring equipment.
As part of the commission’s drive to further professionalize the broadcasting industry, Ilelah said the NBC was motivated to establish the Nigeria Broadcast Institute for the training of the players.
You may recall that in our last parley, I inundated you with the intention to establish an institute.
“I am glad to inform you that a befitting building has been secured to start the Institute soonest.
“Each broadcaster is expected to pass through the Institute, particularly new entrants, starting with the 67 new licensees approved by the President,” he said.
On the status of the digital switchover, the NBC boss said the commission was working on the simultaneous delivery of Nigeria to the life-changing experience of digital broadcasting using SIMULCRYPT.
