The Federal Government has directed that the national Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to formulate regulation for the control and monitoring of online media.
The FG through the minister for information and Culture, Lai Mohammed also directed that the commission should also begin regulation of international broadcasters beaming signals into Nigeria and hate speech.
Others are the regulation of human resources and staff welfare, funding for the implementation of the reforms, monitoring, independence of the regulator and ease of issuing licenses as well as competition and monopoly issues.
The directive was contained in a statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Segun Adeyemi, in Abuja.
The minister directed the NBC to implement a measure that will reposition the broadcast industry, create jobs and promote local content.
The minister had, in October 2018, announced that the National Broadcasting Commission will soon publish new regulations to guide online broadcasters in Nigeria.
According to him, the directive became necessary following the approval of recommendations of a committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister said the commission must ensure that broadcasters utilise the content and services of Nigerian independent producers in line with regulatory requirements for 70 per cent local content.
“This will empower local producers with proper funding and investment, enhances foreign collaborations, develop the local industry, raise the standard of local productions and ultimately, lead to job creation.
“The new regulations will also ensure that producers of content are paid promptly for adverts and sponsored content placed on all TV, radio and broadcast platforms, ensure that the production of adverts are localized to create and promote local production and, where it is not, to attract a charge every time such an advert is aired, with the charge being put into a fund to help develop local expertise in production,” he said.
He highlighted that for musical content, a new regulation will ensure that broadcasters are prevented from illegal and unpaid use of musical works without payment of the applicable license fees and/or royalties required by music rights owners.
The minister added that the new regulations “will re-energize the broadcast industry, deliver real value in the sector and grow the creative industry for the benefit of the practitioners.”
