Controversy Trails NBC’s Warning of Sanctions for Violating Broadcast Code
Varied reactions have trailed the National Broadcasting Commission’s warning to broadcasters that breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code will attract sanctions ahead of the 2027 general elections....
Varied reactions have trailed the National Broadcasting Commission’s warning to broadcasters that breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code will attract sanctions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Broadcasting Commission had issued a warning to broadcasters over rising cases of unethical conduct among presenters and anchors, cautioning that continued violations of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code would be met with sanctions.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw the directive, labelling it unlawful and a threat to press freedom. Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar considers the threat an effort to silence the media and limit free expression in Nigeria.
The Broadcasting Commission, in a statement dated the 17th of April, 2026, said the warning came as a result of its observation of an increase in breaches of the NBC code across broadcasting stations in the country, stating that most presenters are violating their obligations to inform the public with accuracy, balance and professionalism.
The statement further read that as the country is entering into another electoral season, it has observed that presenters are failing to provide equal opportunity for opposing views and allow the broadcast of inflammatory or divisive content.
Recall that the Electoral Act 2026 also provides the principal statutory framework for regulating electoral processes, including equal access to media platforms and transparent use of such platforms during the electioneering period.
Holding a similar position, NBC raised a concern that, ahead of the poll, there must be strong compliance with every provision of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, particularly those relating to fairness, balance, accuracy, hate speech, incitement, and respect for constitutional bodies.
Furthermore, the broadcasting regulation body also warned that “any anchor or presenter found to have expressed personal opinion as fact, bullied or intimidated a guest, denied fair hearing to opposing views, or otherwise compromised neutrality shall be deemed to have committed a Class B breach.
“Broadcast platforms must not be used for hate speech, personal attacks, or content inciting disorder along political lines. The Code places a non-transferable obligation on broadcasters to always exercise editorial judgement, including during Live programming ”.
“As we approach the 2027 General Elections, the Commission, hereby, notifies all broadcasters and stakeholders that it will enforce strict and uncompromised compliance with every provision of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, particularly those relating to fairness, balance, accuracy, hate speech, incitement and respect for constitutional bodies,” the statement partly reads.
The broadcasting regulation body further stressed that due to the departure from the core principles of broadcast journalism in clear violation of the ethical standards enshrined in the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, it now mandated that “the Broadcaster shall ensure that its Presenter does not express his or her opinion in the programme, as a matter of professional standard.”
“All sides to any issue of public interest are equitably presented for fairness and balance. All sides to an issue are equitably presented, preferably in the same broadcast. The broadcaster shall, in using political materials for news and current affairs programmes, avoid hate speech, inflammatory, derogatory and divisive remarks or allusions.”
NBC also warned that, amidst campaigns and other political activities, the NBC code provides that no broadcasting platforms must be misused by political actors. It also insisted that “No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to any person or organisation alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity in language or scene likely to encourage or incite to crime or lead to disorder.”
“The broadcaster shall not transmit divisive materials or compromise the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a sovereign state. No programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or compromises the unity or corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign state.”
“The broadcaster shall exhibit professionalism in the handling of the transmission, especially sensitive issues such as politics, communal conflicts and wars.”
The NBC advised broadcasting organisations not to use the airwaves to increase tension or spread false information, cautioning that they cannot delegate their editorial responsibility to visitors, as their platforms must be used for credible information, responsible discourse, and national cohesion.
‘Withdraw NBC’s Unlawful Directive Targeting Broadcasters Now,’ SERAP tells Tinubu
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu to “direct Mr Mohammed Idris Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately withdraw the unlawful ‘Formal Notice’ issued last week by the NBC, which threatens sanctions against broadcast stations and presenters on vague and unjustified grounds, including the expression of ‘personal opinions’, alleged ‘bullying or intimidation’ of guests, and failure to ‘maintain neutrality’.”
SERAP urged him to “direct the Minister of Information and the NBC to immediately abstain from imposing prior censorship on broadcast stations and Nigerian journalists, including presenters, and to allow them to freely carry out their constitutional responsibilities and exercise their fundamental human rights.”
SERAP also urged him to “direct the NBC to urgently prepare amendments to the unlawful sections of the Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC and to ensure that these provisions comply fully with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
In the letter dated 18 April 2026 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The NBC’s notice represents a dangerous attempt to impose prior censorship on the media and suppress legitimate journalistic expression.”
SERAP said, “The Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law protect both the absolute right to hold opinions and the qualified right to express ideas of all kinds. Journalistic opinion is protected expression.”
According to SERAP, ‘Value judgements are not susceptible to proof and enjoy heightened protection. Journalism necessarily includes analysis and commentary.”
The letter read in part: “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 hours of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from your government and the NBC by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal actions to compel compliance with our request in the public interest.”
“The blanket prohibition imposed by Section 1.10.3 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits presenters from expressing opinions. This amounts to prior restraint that impermissibly excludes commentary, analysis, and value judgements—the core of journalism and democratic discourse.”
“Section 1.10.3 amounts to a form of prior censorship or restraint. Such a blanket restriction fails the legal tests of legality, necessity and proportionality required in a democratic society.”
“The NBC’s reliance on multiple vague provisions of the Broadcasting Code to classify a wide range of presenter conduct as ‘Class B breaches’ attracting sanctions is contrary to the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law.”
“Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee the right to ‘receive and impart ideas and information without interference.’”
“The right to impart ideas necessarily includes opinions, commentary, and analysis. A blanket prohibition on the expression of ‘personal opinions by anchors and presenters’ amounts to an impermissible restriction to this right.”
“Journalists are entitled to express their opinions as a matter of professional standard, including commentary and analytical expression, which lie at the very core of journalistic practice and democratic discourse.”
“The NBC’s claim of a ‘crisis of anchor and presenter professionalism’ as justification for restrictive measures is legally insufficient and cannot be a permissible ground of derogation from freedom of expression. Any limitation on the rights must be justifiable in a democratic society.”
Atiku Abubakar Condemns the Code
In a statement, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and a frontline opposition leader, said, “The Code of Conduct advisory issued by the National Broadcasting Commission is yet another troubling attempt to muzzle the media and shrink the space for free expression in Nigeria.
“Our media industry has grown into a formidable institution, respected globally for its resilience and professionalism. It is therefore alarming that, each time elections approach, the NBC resorts to heavy-handed directives that do more to silence dissent than to uphold ethical journalism.
“I stand firmly with Nigeria’s broadcast industry and all media platforms resisting this creeping censorship.
“Let it be clear: ethical standards are not seasonal tools to be weaponised during campaigns, they are constant obligations.
“The timing and tone of these regulations expose a deeper agenda. It signals a government more interested in controlling narratives than permitting a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.”
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