1. NBC Act (Broadcast License Eligibility)
The NBC Act (1992/1999) — which governs broadcast licensing in Nigeria — explicitly states that the Commission shall not grant a licence to:
• a religious organisation, or
• a political party
to own, establish or operate a broadcasting station (radio or TV).
This means that purely partisan, religious, or ethnically-based organisations cannot themselves be licensees for broadcasting stations.
2. Broadcasting Code Principles
The NBC Broadcasting Code focuses on content regulation for licensed broadcasters — not on who may own a station — but it reinforces neutrality by requiring broadcasting to promote national unity and cohesion and avoid using broadcast platforms to promote division by religion, ethnicity or sectional interests.
NESG
It prohibits broadcasters from airing hate speech, ethnic incitement, or religiously divisive content.
What This Means Practically
Individuals or corporate entities can apply for a broadcast licence provided they meet licensing criteria (e.g., Nigerian ownership, compliance with national policy, and not offensive to religious/ethnic sensibilities).
A political party itself cannot be the licensee or directly own a broadcast station.
A religious organisation likewise cannot hold a broadcast licence directly.
An expressly ethnic-based media outlet with the aim of promoting an ethnic agenda would run afoul of the Code, which seeks to avoid broadcasts that inflame ethnic division.
Why These Rules Exist
The intent behind these provisions is to ensure broadcast media:
• Supports national unity and cohesion,
• Avoids being used by partisan or sectarian interests to inflame tensions,
• Serves the public interest rather than narrow group agendas.
Alternative Paths
While direct ownership by political parties or religious bodies is prohibited, these groups can still:
• Buy airtime for political campaigns or religious programming on licensed stations (with content regulated by NBC).
• Use print or online media platforms (which are not regulated by NBC) to promote their views.
