Broadcasting
Angst in Abuja over AMAC’s Radio, TV Levies- Report
A new levy on radio, television, and other electronic devices imposed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has been met with widespread criticism from residents and business owners, who described it as an oppressive and ill-timed “multiple taxation” that threatens the survival of businesses in the nation’s capital.
The controversy stemmed from the recently enacted AMAC Radio and Television Licence Bye-Law (No. 19) of 2024. Demand notices, seen by our correspondent, were already being served to occupants of homes and business owners across the municipality.
The notices demand full payment within 21 days, warning that failure to comply is a punishable offence that could lead to arraignment before a Magistrate Court and the possible sealing-off of the affected premises.
The law mandates an annual licence fee for anyone who owns or controls a radio, television, or “other items of the same or similar kind.”
The fees vary drastically, targeting everything from large corporations to individual households.
According to the law’s schedule, large banks and multinationals (Category B) are to pay N1,000,000 annually.
Medium-sized businesses like supermarkets, hotels, and telecom companies (Category C) face bills between N50,000 and N200,000.
Most controversially, residents living in duplexes, flats, bungalows, and self-contained apartments (Category D) are also required to pay between N3,500 and N20,000 per dwelling
In an interview across the Area Council, the sentiment was overwhelmingly negative.
Many questioned the rationale behind the tax, especially amidst a severe economic downturn.
Mr Chike Okonkwo, a restaurateur in the Jabi district, received a notice classifying his business under Category C. “This is unbelievable. I am already paying ten different taxes and levies to local, state, and federal agencies.
“Now, AMAC wants me to pay for the small television in my customer waiting area? What exactly is this payment for? Are they providing electricity or signal for it? This will simply force me to increase the price of my food. The customer ultimately suffers,” he said.
For residents, the levy looks like a targeted attack on home comforts. A resident of a 3-bedroom flat in Gwarinpa, who wished to remain anonymous, asked, “Are we now to pay for the right to watch NTA or listen to the radio in our own homes?
“What is the difference between this and the infamous radio licence of the colonial era? With the high cost of living, this is an insult to the average Nigerian just trying to get by.”
Legal experts have also raised concerns. A public affairs analyst, Barr. Rotimi Samuel, questioned the law’s vagueness. “The phrase ‘other items of the same or similar kind’ is dangerously broad.
“Does it cover smartphones, tablets, laptops, or Bluetooth speakers? This gives AMAC officials excessive power to interpret the law arbitrarily and harass citizens during their ‘inspections’,” he said.
Business owners warned that the levy will further dampen the already challenging business environment in Abuja.
“The message this sends to investors is terrible. It signals that the local government is more interested in creating new avenues for revenue extraction than in creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
“This constant fear of arbitrary levies and the threat of having your business sealed is a major disincentive,” said Nkechi Okoro, a beauty salon owner.
The threat of a N10,000 fine or one-month closure for corporate bodies, as stated in the law, is seen as particularly draconian for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) already struggling to stay afloat.
Residents and business owners are calling for an immediate review and possible suspension of the levy.
They are demanding a public campaign to explain the necessity of the levy and what the generated revenue will be used for, rather than just issuing demand notices with threats.
They also demanded a clear and exhaustive list of what constitutes “electronic devices” to prevent extortion and harassment by enforcement officers, and a suspension of the levy, especially for residential homes and small businesses, given the current economic hardship in the country.
When contacted for comment, a representative from the AMAC Radio and Television annex office in Jabi declined to speak, directing all inquiries to the council’s main secretariat.
Kingsley Madaki, senior special assistant on Media and Publicity to the AMAC chairman, explained that the radio and television licence has existed since the Micah Jiba-led administration in AMAC and is not a new item introduced in the council’s bylaw.
“It is under section four schedule of the 1999 Constitution and it is under Tax and Levy. So, it is not a new item introduced by this government; it has been there. Anybody that contravenes that section of our bylaw shall be fined.
“Our agents going round are meant to visit corporate and residential bodies to check and ensure that they pay accordingly. All corporate bodies are meant to pay the tax. If you have a radio or television, you must pay the license,” he said.
As the 21-day deadline looms for those who have received notices, many were left wondering whether to pay a levy they consider unjust or risk the severe penalties, including the seizure of their homes and businesses.
Credit/ The leadership
Enugu State Government has approved an increase in the minimum wage for workers of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) from N32,000 to N82,000 monthly, effective Sept. 1, 2026.
The approval was contained in a letter dated Aug. 11, 2026, signed by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, and addressed to the Accountant-General of the state.
According to the letter, the decision followed a report submitted by the Joint Action Committee on Trade Union (JACTU) at ESUT on issues surrounding a one-month strike ultimatum issued by the university’s unions.
The state government also approved an across-the-board salary increase of N50,000 for all other categories of staff at the university.
Onyia directed the Accountant-General to fully implement the approval of Gov. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
The directive referenced an earlier Government House letter dated Aug. 7, 2026.
A copy of the approval was also forwarded to the Vice-Chancellor of ESUT, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, for information and necessary action.
Speaking on the development at the 278th Regular Meeting of the University Senate on Wednesday, Okolie said the university was continuing discussions with the state government to secure improved welfare for its workforce.
He disclosed that governors in the South-East had agreed to provide at least a 20 per cent salary increase for workers in state-owned universities across the region.
The vice-chancellor, however, noted that individual governors could approve salary increases above the regional benchmark.
Okolie thanked Gov. Mbah for implementing the N80,000 minimum wage and for his interventions in infrastructure and academic development at the university.
He also appealed to union leaders to allow the university management to conclude its ongoing negotiations with the state government on staff welfare.
The vice-chancellor said continued engagement between the university management, government and labour unions remained important to resolving outstanding welfare issues and sustaining industrial harmony at ESUT.
David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has declared that no Nigerian artiste has more hit songs than him, challenging his peers to a hit-for-hit contest with $1 million at stake.
The Afrobeats superstar, made the declaration during a recent online interaction with streamer Davrel, where he expressed confidence in the strength of his music catalogue.
Key Highlights:
- Davido says he is ready to stake $1 million in a hit-for-hit battle.
- The singer claims no Nigerian artiste has more hit songs than him.
- His challenge could reignite comparisons with Wizkid, Burna Boy and Olamide.
- No major artiste mentioned in the debate had accepted the challenge as of the time of filing.
“I will put up a $1M on the table. I will do it versus anybody. A million dollars cash, nobody has more hits than me,” Davido said.
The declaration is likely to renew the long-running debate among Afrobeats fans over which Nigerian artiste has the strongest catalogue of commercially successful songs.
Davido, whose career spans more than a decade, has recorded several commercially successful songs, including Fall, If, FIA, Risky, Blow My Mind, Unavailable, Assurance and Feel.
His claim could set up a potential catalogue battle with some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars, including Wizkid, Burna Boy, Olamide, Runtown and Tekno.
The statement also recalls the hit-for-hit debate involving Burna Boy during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Burna Boy had called for a competitive song battle, while former Mavin Records artiste Reekado Banks reportedly expressed interest. Burna Boy, however, rejected him as an opponent.
Six years later, Davido’s $1 million challenge has brought the idea back into the spotlight.
As of the time of filing, none of the major artistes indirectly referenced by Davido had publicly accepted the challenge.
Whether the proposed contest becomes reality remains uncertain.
For now, Davido has made his position clear and is willing to attach $1 million to his claim that no contemporary Nigerian artiste has a stronger catalogue of hit songs.
Nigeria’s pay-TV industry is facing one of its toughest periods in years as consumers increasingly migrate from conventional antenna and decoder-based television services to cheaper, more flexible and on-demand streaming platforms
The shift is putting pressure on established operators, such as MultiChoice, owners of DStv and GOtv; StarTimes and other traditional pay-TV providers, whose business models have long depended on recurring monthly subscriptions as per report by Business Hallmark.
According to Business Hallmark, the changing consumer behaviour is being driven by a combination of factors, including demographic transition, rising subscription costs, declining household purchasing power, improved internet access and the growing popularity of streaming services that allow viewers to pay for specific content or watch programmes at their convenience.
Streaming platforms are steadily expanding their appeal, offering consumers access to movies, sports (especially football matches and wrestling bouts), local content and international programs through smartphones, smart televisions and other internet-enabled devices.
Also, the proliferation of affordable data packages and connected devices has lowered the barrier to entry, allowing consumers to bypass traditional decoders altogether and consume content directly online.
Three of the major factors behind the changing behaviour of Nigerian television consumers are growing internet access, economic squeeze and changing demography.
Pay-TV subscriptions, once regarded by many households as a relatively affordable source of entertainment, are now competing with several other demands on disposable income.
For instance, entertainment spending are increasingly being subjected to tougher scrutiny with household budgets under pressure from food, tuition, transportation, electricity, housing and other essential costs.
Business Hallmark checks revealed that frequent price reviews by MultiChoice Nigeria’s have pushed the firm’s products beyond the reach of many Nigerians.
One of its products, GOtv, initially designed for average Nigerians, has six packages, namely GOtv Supa Plus, GOtv Supa, Gotv Max, GOtv Jolli, GOtv Jinja and GOtv Smallie.
GOtv Supa Plus with over 85+ channels currently goes for a monthly subscription fee of N16,800; GOtv Supa N11,400; Gotv Max N8,500; GOtv Jolli N5,800; GOtv Jinja N3,900, while GOtv Smallie subscribers choose between the N1,900/monthly, N5,100/quarterly and N15,000/annually options.
Similarly, following multiple tariff reviews, DStv Premium currently goes for N44,500 monthly; DStv Compact Plus N30,000; DStv Compact N19,000; DStv Confam N11,000; DStv Yanga N6,000 and DStv Padi N4,400.
On the other hand, StarTimes, which serves its customers through antenna signal transmission and satellite transmission, has only three bouquets, Nova, Basic, and Classic.
While Classic, the most expensive bouquet on the StarTimes’ shelf currently cost N6,000 monthly, Basic costs N4,000, while Nova costs N2,100.
While speaking to our correspondent on the major shift, some consumers explained that the choice is no longer between different pay-TV providers but between maintaining a television subscription and cancelling it altogether.
Eighty-two Nigerians, representing 68% of the 120 Pay-TV subscribers, who participated in an online survey conducted by Business Hallmark, said they opted for less expensive and more flexible alternatives, including YouTube and a growing range of streaming platforms, using smartphones, laptops, smart televisions and other internet-enabled devices to access entertainment.Geographic Reference
According to the respondents, the shift towards streaming lies partly in its flexibility. Instead of waiting for a program to be broadcast at a scheduled time, viewers now search for specific films, series, sporting events or other contents, which can be watched immediately, or downloaded to be watched or listened to later.
“I now watch contents when I want, across multiple devices, without necessarily being tied to the traditional channel and time-based television experience”, said Tolu Olamiti, an accountant in an audit firm in Lagos.
Another factor that is fueling the exodus from pay-TV model is the growing youth population. Checks revealed that online streaming is particularly attractive to phone-savvy younger viewers, whose television consumption habits are markedly different from those of previous generations.
While underage children watch cartoons and educational programs mostly from their parents or older siblings internet-enabled gadgets, teenagers and adults now watch news, sports programs and films through live streaming or download preferred programs to be watched later.
“With N200 data, I can download several new films to be watched at my convenience, instead of the old films, which providers always repeat on their channels. I also listen to music through out the day without worrying about electricity as my phone can go 2 days after full charge”, said Chukwuemeka Ibe, a student of Lagos State University (LASU).
In the same vein, access to fast and cheap internet plans is helping to drive the streaming surge. For instance, a subscriber can get a daily 1G data plan on the MTN Nigeria platform for just N200. This data plan can be used to download up to 1,000MB movies, or for streaming several hours of music online.
According to official statistics from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), internet consumption in Nigeria reached 13.2 million terabytes in 2025, representing a 35 per cent increase from 2024, while average monthly data usage per active subscriber increased from 3.3 gigabytes in January 2023 to 7.4 gigabytes by May 2025.Geographic Reference
The NCC data indicates growing reliance on mobile internet services and digital platforms across the country with active internet subscriptions rising from 169.3 million in January 2025 to 182.2 million by January 2026.
Also, active internet subscriptions also surpassed 142 million.
Before the advent of internet, traditional pay-TV operators had ruled the television viewing industry largely through channel packages, exclusive content and decoder penetration. However, the rise of streaming has fundamentally altered the competitive landscape of Nigeria’s entertainment industry.
Fueled by the spread of smart devices and improved internet connectivity, streaming companies have been able to compete with traditional TV and radio providers through original programming, on-demand access, convenient timing and increased personalized viewing experiences.
A subscriber, who previously needed a satellite dish or digital terrestrial television decoder to access premium entertainment, can now use a smartphone or smart television and an internet connection.
The proliferation of affordable smartphones has further accelerated the process. Mobile phones have become entertainment devices for millions of Nigerians, particularly younger consumers, who spend more time watching short-form videos, movies and online programs than conventional television.
Also, social media platforms have become important competitors for consumers’ limited attention. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other digital platforms provide enormous volumes of free or relatively inexpensive video content, forcing traditional broadcasters to compete not only for subscribers but also for viewers’ time.
Several pay-TV subscribers, who spoke to our correspondent on the matter, said providers can no longer justify the traditional model of paying a fixed monthly fee for hundreds of channels they rarely watch.
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