The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to withdraw its recent directive to broadcasters, describing it as unlawful and repressive.
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SERAP, in a letter dated April 18 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, said the directive “represents a dangerous attempt to impose prior censorship on the media and suppress legitimate journalistic expression”.
It urged Tinubu to ensure that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, and the NBC “immediately withdraw the unlawful “formal notice “which threatens sanctions against broadcast stations and presenters on vague and unjustified grounds”.
SERAP also called on the government to immediately abstain from imposing prior censorship on broadcast stations and Nigerian journalists and allow them to freely carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
The organisation argued that key provisions cited by the NBC were inconsistent with constitutional guarantees of free expression.
“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,” SERAP said.
It further criticised restrictions on presenters’ conduct, noting that, “a blanket prohibition on the expression of ‘personal opinions by anchors and presenters’ amounts to an impermissible restriction”.
According to SERAP, the use of vague standards such as “professionalism” opens the door to abuse.
“The NBC’s reliance on an undefined and subjective standard of ‘professionalism’ introduces vagueness and opens the door to arbitrary enforcement,” it said.
The group warned that the threat of sanctions could have a chilling effect on the media, discouraging critical journalism and public debate.
“The imposition of punitive measures based on vague and broadly defined infractions creates a chilling effect on broadcasters… and undermines democratic discourse,” the letter stated.
SERAP also raised concerns about the timing of the directive ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the NBC’s Formal Notice undermines Nigerians’ democratic rights to receive diverse information, hear competing political viewpoints, and engage in open debate,” it added.
The organisation gave the federal government 48 hours to act, warning that it would pursue legal action if its demands were not met.
The NBC had issued a formal notice on April 17, 2026, citing a rise in unprofessional conduct and warning that it would enforce strict compliance with the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, including sanctions for violations.
