By Bunmi Yekini
Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has strongly condemned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over its directive to radio and television stations nationwide prohibiting the broadcast of the song “Tell Your Papa” by Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the move as a blatant abuse of regulatory power and a threat to freedom of expression.
The NBC, in a letter dated April 9, 2025, and signed by its Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Ms Susan Obi, instructed all broadcast stations to refrain from airing the track, which it labelled as “Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB)” under Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
According to the NBC, the song’s content was deemed inappropriate for public broadcast due to its alleged objectionable nature.
However, MRA has fired back, calling the decision arbitrary and unconstitutional. In a statement issued in Lagos, the organization’s Programme Officer, Ms Ayomide Eweje, criticized the NBC’s interpretation of the Code, saying the cited provision is vague and open to misuse.
“The NBC’s decision to ban the airing of a socially and politically conscious song without a clear legal basis or due process amounts to censorship,” Eweje said. “It is a clear attempt to stifle artistic expression and silence dissenting voices, both of which are fundamental elements of a democratic society.”
Eweje further argued that Section 3.1.8 of the Code merely states that NTBB content should not be broadcast, but fails to define what qualifies as NTBB or under what circumstances a song can be classified as such, leaving room for what she described as “a recipe for arbitrariness.”
She added: “The NBC has completely confused its role as a supposedly independent media regulatory body with that of a propaganda agency charged with shielding the government from criticism or embarrassment.”
Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right to freedom of expression, as well as international human rights instruments like Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Eweje emphasized that Nigeria is bound to uphold these protections.
“Artists have the right and freedom to use their platforms to critique governance, raise awareness, and reflect public sentiment,” she said. “The NBC must act within the bounds of the law and not suppress politically charged content that challenges the status quo.”
MRA is demanding that the NBC immediately rescind the ban on “Tell Your Papa” and refrain from taking arbitrary actions that infringe on Nigerians’ rights and shrink the civic space.
“We also urge all stakeholders in the media and creative sectors, as well as civil society, to resist any attempt to muzzle freedom of expression under the guise of regulation,” Eweje stated.
She reaffirmed MRA’s commitment to defending the rights of all Nigerians, including journalists, artists, and academics—to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas without fear of censorship or reprisals.