The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has directed all social media platforms and online broadcasting service providers operating in Nigeria to apply for broadcast licence.
The Director-General of the commission, Armstrong Idachaba, gave this directive in a newspaper advertorial published on Thursday.
He said any online broadcast service provider that fails to obtain a licence will be considered “an illegal entity.”
The Federal Government had earlier this week announced its plan to regulate Twitter and other social media platforms, saying they must register with Corporate Affair Commission (CAC) as a Nigerian company in order to do business in the country.
Idachaba said in the advertorial that the NBC establishment code empowered the commission to ask the companies to be licensed.
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Section two (b) of the NBC act of 2004 states, “(1) The Commission shall have [the] responsibility of: Receiving, processing and considering applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including (i) cable television services, direct satellite broadcast and any other medium of broadcasting.”
The advertorial reads, “The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) hereby directs every Online Broadcast Service provider and Social Media Platforms operating within the Nigerian State to apply and obtain broadcast licence for their service(s).
“Note that any Online Broadcast Service Provider that fails to obtain a licence will be considered an illegal entity.”
