Broadcasting
COVID-19: FG Grants 60% Debt Relief to Broadcast Stations
Federal government has approved 60 percent debt forgiveness for all debtor broadcast stations in the country to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the industry, according to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture.
Lai Mohammed
Mohammed,, announced this in Abuja at a media briefing on the government’s efforts to institute financial sustainability among broadcast stations in the country.
He noted that the broadcast industry had been particularly hard-hit due to falling revenues occasioned by the dwindling adverts and sponsored programmes in the wake of the pandemic.
Mohammed, disclosed that many Nigerian radio and television stations remained indebted to the government to the tune of N7. 8 billion while many of them were faced with the reality that their licenses would not be renewed in view of their indebtedness.
“Against this background, the management of the NBC has recommended, and the Federal Government has accepted 60 per cent debt forgiveness for all debtor broadcast stations in the country,” he said.
Mohammed, however, said the criterion for enjoying the debt forgiveness was for debtor stations to pay 40 per cent of their existing debt within the next three months
According to him, any station that is unable to pay the balance of 40 percent indebtedness within the three months window shall forfeit the opportunity to enjoy the stated debt forgiveness.
The minister said the government also approved that the existing license fee of the broadcast stations be further discounted by 30 per cent for all Open Terrestrial Radio and Television services effective July 10.
He said the debt forgiveness would apply to functional licensed Terrestrial Radio and Television stations only
“The debt forgiveness and discount shall not apply to pay TV service operators in Nigeria.
“The effective date of the debt forgiveness shall be July 10 to October 6th, 2020,” he said.
Mohammed said the measures were in addition to the two-month licence-fee waiver granted to terrestrial broadcast stations in the country by the NBC, as part of efforts to ease the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He gave an assurance that the measures taken by the government would give lifeline and revamp the Industry as well as help reposition it for the challenges of business in the post-COVID-19 era.
“The Federal Government has made these interventions with a view to re-positioning the broadcast industry to play its critical role of promoting democracy and good governance in Nigeria.
“It is our expectation that the sector will cash in on this unique opportunity to make itself an effective catalyst for national development,” he said.
Speaking on efforts to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the creative sector in general, the minister recalled that government set up the Post-Covid-19 Initiatives Committee for the creative industry,
He said the committee had submitted its report, which contained recommendations that would benefit all component parts of the larger creative industry.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the minister said similar measures would be extended to the print industry by the government.
Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, acting director-general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) , said the commission is carrying out holistic review of the broadcast sector as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Idachaba, who was also at the briefing, said the government would enforce the Pay as You Go directive to the Pay-Tv because it was in the interest of all.
University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has officially banned skitmaking, content creation and other video recording activities within its campus and hostels without prior authorization.
Mrs. Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, head of Communication, UNILAG, in a statement, said that the ban followed growing concern over the increasing use of university facilities for unapproved video productions, including comedy skits, vox pops and film shoots.
“The attention of the University Management has been drawn to the rising use of the University premises, including hostels and other facilities, for shooting of films, videos, skits, and similar cinematographic activities without proper authorisation,” parts of the statement read.
According to UNILAG, the decision aims to safeguard the institution’s image, maintain decorum within the academic environment, and ensure that its premises are not misrepresented in online or public content.
The university emphasized that any individual, whether a student, staff member, or external party, must seek and obtain formal approval from the institution’s Communication Unit before carrying out any form of recording or production on campus.
While acknowledging the importance of creative expression and media engagement, UNILAG maintained that all such activities must comply with its established rules and procedures to preserve order and safety.
The statement also appealed to members of the university community and the general public to strictly adhere to the new directive “in the interest of order, safety, and collective responsibility”.
Multichoice Nigeria Limited has been been ordered by Lagos Court to pay damages for breaching consumer rights, in rulings hailed by regulators as victories for consumer protection.
In Lagos, the High Court presided over by Justice R. O. Olukolu awarded ₦5 million in damages against Multichoice for unlawfully disconnecting a paid DStv subscription belonging to Mr. Ben Onuora.
The court held that the disruption caused undue hardship to the subscriber and his family, and ordered the company to reconnect the service and extend the subscription to cover the lost period.
The judgment cited Sections 130, 136, and 142–145 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
Reacting to the judgments, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) described them as landmark decisions that reinforce Nigeria’s consumer protection framework.
In a statement signed by Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, director of Corporate Affairs for Mr. Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman, FCCPC, said the rulings demonstrate the effectiveness of judicial enforcement under the FCCPA.
“These outcomes strengthen consumer confidence and marketplace accountability,” Bello said, commending the judiciary and encouraging consumers to continue seeking redress through lawful channels.
Between March and August 2025, the FCCPC facilitated recoveries exceeding ₦10 billion for consumers across 30 sectors, according to the Commission.
The FCCPC reiterated its commitment to promoting fair markets and protecting consumer rights nationwide.
MultiChoice Group is set to delist from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) on December 10 2025, after Canal+ secured control of more than 90% of its shares, effectively completing its takeover of the African pay-TV giant.
The Group, in a notice to shareholders at the weekend, announced that trading of its shares on both the JSE and A2X will be suspended from Monday, October 27, 2025.
The official delisting date of December 10 is pending regulatory approvals from the JSE, A2X, and the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank.
Canal+, a French media conglomerate and subsidiary of Vivendi, crossed the 90% shareholding threshold, enabling it to invoke Section 124(1) of South Africa’s Companies Act.
This legal provision allows Canal+ to compulsorily acquire all remaining MultiChoice shares from shareholders who did not accept its offer.
According to the notice, Canal+ will acquire the remaining shares on the same terms and offer price presented during the takeover bid.
“The Remaining MultiChoice Shareholders are reminded of their rights to apply to a court of competent jurisdiction within 30 business days after receiving the Notice in terms of section 124(2) of the Companies Act (“Section 124(2) Rights”).” The notice read.
If no legal challenges are raised, Canal+ will complete the compulsory acquisition six weeks after the notice date, finalising MultiChoice’s transition into a wholly owned subsidiary of the French media group.
The delisting will mark the end of MultiChoice’s 6-year presence on the JSE, where it was listed in 2019 following its spin-off from Naspers.
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