Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, the acting Director-General (DG) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has said that the organisation is committed to effective regulations and reforms to checkmate monopoly in Nigeria’s broadcasting space.
Idachaba stated this at a conference in Abuja last week.
According to him, NBC is still highly committed to its objective of promoting broadcasting for overall national development.
He said that the recommendations of the Reform Implementation Committee had now been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Idachaba explained that the reform provides for significant changes in the broadcast industry. The changes will be in the areas of the welfare of the regulator, amendment and proposal for inclusion of new laws as well as on content emanating from the social media.
He said that the regulations are intended to mandate owners of distribution platforms to ensure that they self-regulate and see to it that the content that emerges from their platforms is not harmful.
The DG clarified that the NBC did not intend to deny citizens their freedom of expression as entrenched in the country’s constitution.
He said that another critical area in the reform would be the issue of curbing monopolistic tendencies by right owners.
