The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has told President Bola Tinubu to immediately cancel a recent order from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that they say is illegal and a threat to press freedom.
In a letter dated April 18, 2026, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, the Deputy Director, the group asked the President to tell the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, and the NBC to take back the notice.
“The NBC’s notice is a dangerous attempt to impose prior censorship on the media and stifle legitimate journalistic expression,” said SERAP.
The group also asked the government not to censor Nigerian journalists and broadcast stations ahead of time, and to let them do their constitutional duties freely.
The request comes after the NBC sent out a formal notice on April 17, 2026, saying that there had been an increase in violations of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and warning stations against doing things like sharing “personal opinions,” allegedly threatening guests, or not being neutral.
In response, SERAP said that these kinds of rules are unclear and against the law. They stressed that “The Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law protect both the absolute right to hold opinions and the qualified right to express ideas of all kinds.”
It went on to say, “Journalistic opinion is protected expression.”
The group also spoke out against Section 1.10.3 of the Broadcasting Code, saying, “This is prior restraint that wrongly keeps out commentary, analysis, and value judgments, which are the heart of journalism and democratic discourse.”
SERAP said that the NBC’s use of broad and unclear rules could lead to random enforcement and could stop important reporting, especially before the 2027 general elections.
“The threat of sanctions for behavior that is broadly defined makes journalists and broadcasters less likely to do their jobs, which goes against constitutional guarantees,” the group said.
It said, “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 48 hours,” and warned that not doing so could lead to legal action. If we haven’t heard from your government and the NBC by then, SERAP will take all necessary legal steps to make sure they follow the rules.
SERAP also asked the NBC to change parts of the Broadcasting Code so that they are in line with constitutional and international human rights standards.
