The National Broadcasting Commission is celebrating 31 years of its existence. The NBC was established by the NBC Act, Cap. N11, Law of the Federation, 2004. This marked the deregulation of the broadcast Industry in Nigeria and opened doors for private participation through ownership and operation in the sector.
With the Mission statement, “to evolve defined standards in all aspect of broadcasting, to effectively license, monitor and regulate an environment that encourages investment and development of quality programming and technology for a viable industry, which competes favourably in the global information society”, the Commission is confined within its mandate to continue to uphold, develop and regulate the broadcast industry.
The appointment of the late Mr. Peter Enahoro as the pioneer Board Chairman of the Commission, Dr Tom Adaba as the Director General and Mr. Bright Igbako, as the Secretary to the Commission, at that time, kickstarted an organisation which blossomed to what we have today.
The Board, made up of 10 members, took initiative from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Britain and other relevant organization, as well as broadcast stakeholders in the Industry to establish standard to guide broadcast operations in Nigeria.
Over time, the Commission has witnessed several appointments of Directors General – Mall. Nasir Danladi Bako 1999 – 2002
Dr. Silas Babajiya Yisa 2002- 2006
Mr. Bayo Atoyebi Ag- DG 2006- 2007
Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa 2007 – 2013
Mr. Emeka Mba 2013- 2016
Mall. Ishaq Modibbo Kawu 2016- 2021
Mall. Balarabe Shehu Ilelah 2021 – till date
Every appointment had it’s contribution and implementation towards the growth and stability of the Commission. The resolve to organise seminars, workshops, Annual lectures and the Digital Switch -Over (DSO) project, are all in the bid to keep up with the ever-evolving standards in the broadcast industry.
The Commission has also provided trainings for broadcasters at various levels to enhance skill and production.
AFRICAST, a summit for African Broadcasters, a biennial conference initiated by the Commission is another platform where Broadcasters, Manufacturers of broadcast equipment’s, Content Creators, Academia, students of broadcasting and Mass Communication are brought together to discuss burning issues in the broadcasting ecosystem with the view of exploring latest trends and proffering solutions to emerging challenges.
The 13th edition, is set to take place from October 24th -26th 2023, with the theme: Broadcast Content: Synergy, Finance and Market at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos and promises to be an exciting experience for participants.
The Commission presently has a wide-spread presence across Nigeria with 10 Zonal Offices and 27 state offices. Today, we regulate over 700 functional broadcast stations in Nigeria made up of Radio and Television stations.
The Commission looks forward to a more progressive pathway towards achieving our mandate and serving the public seamlessly while assuring them of their RIGHTS TO QUALITY BROADCASTING.