The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has strongly criticized the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for ordering radio and television stations across Nigeria to stop airing the song “Tell Your Papa” by Nigerian rapper Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the move as an abuse of regulatory authority and a serious threat to freedom of expression.
In a directive dated April 9, 2025, and signed by the NBC’s Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Ms. Susan Obi, the Commission instructed all broadcast outlets to cease airing the track, claiming it contains “objectionable” content in violation of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The song was labeled “Not To Be Broadcast” (NTBB).
Responding in a statement from Lagos, MRA Programme Officer, Ms. Ayomide Eweje, condemned the directive and described Section 3.1.8 as vague and open to misuse. According to her, the section merely prohibits the broadcast of NTBB content but fails to define the criteria for such classification or outline a transparent process.
“This lack of specificity,” she noted, “opens the door to arbitrary enforcement. The NBC, rather than an impartial regulator, appears to be functioning as a mouthpiece for the government, silencing dissenting voices.”
Eweje argued that banning a politically and socially conscious song without due process amounts to censorship and violates Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression. She also referenced international obligations binding on Nigeria, including Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
MRA called on the NBC to immediately reverse the “Tell Your Papa” ban and refrain from actions that undermine public confidence, restrict civil liberties, and shrink the democratic space.
“We call on media professionals, artists, and civil society organizations to resist any efforts to suppress free expression under the pretense of regulation,” Eweje concluded.
