Buhari Approves License Of Online Radio, TV Stations – TheNigerialawyer

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved wide ranging reforms in
the broadcasting industry, including the licensing of online radio
and television stations, the Minister of Information and Culture,
Lai Mohammed, disclosed.

According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant,
Segun Adeyemi, the minister made the disclosure on Friday when he
received members of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, BON,
on a courtesy visit.

Mr Mohammed, while responding to a request made by BON for the
review of the Broadcasting Code, stated that the President also
approved a wide range of reforms in the industry.

“I just want to use this opportunity to inform you that Mr.
President has actually already approved a review of the Broadcast
Code that is going to take care of many of the issues you have
already raised here.

“In particular, the President has approved that WebTVs and radio
stations, including foreign broadcasters beaming signals into
Nigeria, will be licensed because we must bring sanity into this
industry.

“Mr. President has also approved a wide range of reforms in the
industry which, at the appropriate platform, I will let you know,”
he said.

The minister, who promised to carry along members of BON in the
review of the Broadcasting Code, restated the commitment of the
present administration to free media.

“I have said it on many platforms that this administration is
not about to gag the press. No! But we will appeal to the press to
please self-regulate for the sake of this country and also for the
sake of the industry itself,” he said.

Mr Mohammed also appealed to BON to partner with the government
in the promotion of peaceful co-existence and cohesion in order to
engender progress and national development.

“Today, if anybody listens to what is being said on some radio
or television stations, you will think that this country is at war
or that Christians actually cannot live with Muslims or that there
is a dichotomy between the North and the South.

“I think we need to appeal to you to use your platforms for the
unity and cohesion of the country,” he said.

In his remarks, the Acting Chairman of BON, Sir Godfrey
Ohuabunwa, said the re-appointment of the Minister was deserving
because he brought life and great innovation to the broadcast
industry during the first tenure of the administration.

He pledged the readiness of BON to key into the government’s
agenda, especially the fight against fake news.

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