ABUJA: Nigeria’s broadcasting authority said Thursday it had shut down a private radio and a television station both owned by a key opposition figure who earlier claimed his media operations were targetted in a crackdown.
The National Broadcasting Commission(NBC) said it suspended the license of the Daar Communications Plc, owners of the African Independent Television(AIT) and RayPower FM radio for breach of the broadcast codes.
The NBC said in a statement it had summoned the management of the stations for two years to address alleged bias in their broadcasts and for failing to meet financial obligations to the regulatory authority.
The statement charged the two had “embarked on use of inflammatory, divisive, inciting broadcasts and media propaganda against the government and the NBC for performing its statutory functions of regulating the broadcast industry in Nigeria.”
NBC said it took the decision Thursday to “suspend the license” of AIT and RayPower FM “for failure to abide by the Commission’s directives and the provisions of the law.
“The shut down order is until further notice,” the statement said.
The two broadcast stations are owned by a business tycoon Raymond Dokpesi who is also a key member of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Dokpesi earlier Thursday addressed a news conference to accuse the NBC of intimidating his media empire on the instruction of the Nigerian presidency.
“We are on a road previously traveled. A media and press clampdown is in the offing,” Dokpesi said hours before the suspension of his license.
Dokpesi, established RayPower FM as the pioneer private Radio in 1994 and AIT in 1998.
Reporters Without Borders places Nigeria in 119th place out of 180 on its World Press Freedom Index.
It says journalists are often threatened, subjected to physical violence, or denied access to information by government officials, police, and sometimes the public itself.
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Nigeria shuts private TV, radio close to opposition
Nigeria shuts private TV, radio close to opposition
- Reporters Without Borders places Nigeria in 119th place out of 180 on its World Press Freedom Index
Egypt to adopt restrictions on children’s social media use to fight ‘digital chaos’
- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s has called for restrictions until children are mature enough to handle social media responsibly
- Australia, the United Kingdom and France are considering similar measures to protect children from online risks
CAIRO: Egypt’s Parliament is looking into ways to regulate children’s use of social media platforms to combat what lawmakers called “digital choas,” following some western countries that are considering banning young teenagers from social media.
The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”
Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior,” the statement said.
The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”
The president’s televised comments urged his government to look at other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom that are working on legislations to “restrict or ban” children from social media.
About 50 percent of children under 18 in Egypt use social media platforms where they are likely exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying and abuse, according to a 2024 report by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, a government-linked think tank.
In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children younger than 16. The move triggered fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.
The British government said it will consider banning young teenagers from social media while tightening laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged his government to fast-track the legal process to ensure a social media ban for children under 15 can be enforced at the start of the next school year in September.
The House of Representatives said in a statement late Sunday that it will work on a legislation to regulate children’s use of social media and “put an end to the digital chaos our children are facing, and which negatively impacts their future.”
Legislators will consult with the government and expert bodies to draft a law to “protect Egyptian children from any risks that threaten its thoughts and behavior,” the statement said.
The statement came after President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday urged his government and lawmakers to consider adopting legislation restricting children’s use of social media, “until they reach an age when they can handle it properly.”
The president’s televised comments urged his government to look at other countries including Australia and the United Kingdom that are working on legislations to “restrict or ban” children from social media.
About 50 percent of children under 18 in Egypt use social media platforms where they are likely exposed to harmful content, cyberbullying and abuse, according to a 2024 report by the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, a government-linked think tank.
In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for children younger than 16. The move triggered fraught debates about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.
The British government said it will consider banning young teenagers from social media while tightening laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged his government to fast-track the legal process to ensure a social media ban for children under 15 can be enforced at the start of the next school year in September.
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