Nigerian regulator mandated to issue community radio licences

THE Government of Nigeria has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) — the government agency in charge of regulating the country’s broadcast industry — to commence the issuance of licences for community radio stations.

Until now, NBC was mandated to seek presidential approval before any community radio licences could be issued.

Nigeria currently has over 350 functional broadcast stations made up 123 privately-owned radio and television stations and 227 government-owned radio and television stations.

However, no community station has been licenced since government deregulated the country’s broadcasting sector in the early 1990s.

President Goodluck Jonathan said in Abuja at the just concluded Africast conference that government is now more committed to empowering the people so that they not only hear but are also be heard.

Jonathan said this desire to empower the people informed the decision of the federal executive council to approve the guidelines for the NBC to issue licences for community radio stations.

Said Jonathan : “The federal government has devolved to the NBC the powers to consider and issue the licences without further recourse to the presidency, provided such applicants have met all the conditions stipulated by the law”.

He assured that government is determined to ensure that the country keeps to its target of 2012 for the transition from analogue to digital transmission.

Jonathan said in recognition of the fact that digitalisation of the broadcast sector is best driven by policy, government would soon send a bill to the National Assembly for a law that would provide the legal framework for the transition.

The Bill, when passed into law, would deal with such issues as signals distribution system, licensing framework, spectrum planning and broadcast standards as well as training and any other issue that will make the transition smooth and meaningful.-

SIMEON OGOEGBULEM in Abuja, Nigeria