Abuja, Nigeria: ImpactHouse Centre for Development Communication strongly condemns the directive issued by the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, to revoke the broadcasting licence of Badeggi FM 90.1, a private radio station operating in Bida, and to shut down its operations. This alarming action represents a dangerous encroachment on press freedom and a violation of constitutional and regulatory provisions governing media practice in Nigeria.

The reported shutdown, allegedly in response to the station’s ‘inciting broadcasts’, bypasses established legal frameworks and disregards the role of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the only institution empowered by law to regulate and sanction broadcasting operations in Nigeria.

Under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, only the NBC has the authority to investigate alleged infractions, impose sanctions, or revoke broadcasting licences. By directing the shutdown of Badeggi FM without due process, the Governor has acted ultra vires, outside the limits of his constitutional and statutory authority, and in violation of Nigeria’s democratic norms.

In a country striving to build democratic resilience, press freedom is not a privilege. It is a constitutional right and a cornerstone of accountability.

As an organisation working to deepen the quality of civic conversations among everyday citizens and empower civil society and the media with the tools to strengthen democratic accountability, ImpactHouse:

1. Demands the immediate reversal of the directive to revoke the licence of Badeggi FM and the restoration of its broadcast operations.
2. Calls on the NBC to assert its regulatory independence and investigate any alleged breaches of the Broadcasting Code using the lawful mechanisms available.
3. Urges the Governor of Niger State and other political officeholders to respect the rule of law and the institutional safeguards that uphold Nigeria’s democracy.
4. Encourages citizens, civil society groups, media professionals, and legislators to resist any attempt to silence the media and to defend press freedom as a collective civic duty.

Nigeria’s democracy must not be weakened by executive overreach or the politicisation of media regulation.

Signed:

John Andah

Executive Director