The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has asked all social media platforms and online broadcasting service providers operating in Nigeria to apply for a broadcast licence.
The Director-General of NBC, Armstrong Idachaba, gave the directive in a newspaper advertorial published on Thursday.
The development follows the Federal Government’s announcement that Twitter and other social media platforms must register as a business entity for them to do business in Nigeria.
In the advertorial, Idachaba said that NBC’s establishment code empowers the commission to ask the companies to be licensed.
“Section two (b) of the NBC act of 2004 states: “(1) The Commission shall have [the] responsibility of Receiving, processing and considering applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including (i) cable television services, direct satellite broadcast and any other medium of broadcasting.
“The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) hereby directs every Online Broadcast Service provider and Social Media Platforms operating within the Nigerian State to apply and obtain a broadcast licence for their service(s).
“Note that any Online Broadcast Service Provider that fails to obtain a licence will be considered an illegal entity,” he said.
It is not immediately clear whether the directive applies strictly to only broadcast organisations or not.
Many Nigerians have alleged that the Buhari administration is clamping down on free speech and internet freedom following the government’s suspension of Twitter operations in the country.
The government moved to license social media companies after Twitter took down a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that the message violates its policy.
Two days after the incident, the Federal Government suspended Twitter in Nigeria and directed NBC to “immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.”
