In Nigeria, a Federal High Court in Lagos State has ruled against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), ordering it to refrain from leveraging the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code to impose fines on media outlets and broadcast stations in the country. The court determined that the NBC does not possess the authority to impose penalties, suspensions, or revoke licenses of media houses for facilitating access to a variety of information on matters of public significance. Previously, in 2022, the NBC had imposed a fine of N5 million each on several media outlets, including Trust TV, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, NTA-Startimes Limited, and TelcCom Satellite Limited, due to their documentaries addressing terrorism in Nigeria. In a statement released on Sunday, Kolawole Oluwadare, the deputy director of SERAP, urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the NBC complies with the court’s ruling. He concluded, “The prompt enforcement and implementation of this judgment will signify a triumph for the rule of law, freedom of expression, and media freedom in Nigeria.”

Source: The North Africa Journal November 18, 2024 14:15 UTC