Broadcasting
FG Claims TV Stations Have Paid Fines over “Fake News”
The sanctions imposed on some broadcast media stations in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests were justified and that the affected stations already paid their fines, according to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture.
Mohammed, who stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a media briefing on the #EndSARS protest and its aftermaths, said that two of the stations paid their fines in full, while the third paid a part of the fine, with an appeal for time to pay the balance.
He stressed that the fines imposed on the stations by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) were not only justified but that the NBC was indeed lenient.
“In the aftermath of the EndSARS crisis, NBC fined three broadcast stations for using unverified and dangerous information from social media.
“Commentators, many of whom didn’t even know why the NBC imposed the fine, rushed to allege an attempt to stifle free speech.
“Unknown to them, the stations themselves knew that they breached the Broadcast Code.
“It is sad to see the traditional media jettisoning the age-long gate-keeping process and instead rushing to rely on the free-wheeling social media, devoid of any gatekeeping, for news,’’ he said.
The minister also said it was imperative for the traditional media to authenticate the information from social media or from any source, for that matter, before publishing or broadcasting the same.
He condemned the emerging trend in which traditional media freely used materials from social media sources without taking the pains to verify their authenticity.
“This is a dangerous trend that must be curbed, in the interest of media practitioners themselves, the profession and indeed the country,’’ he said.
Mohammed said if NBC had wielded the big stick during the protest, some broadcast media organisations would have faced more severe sanctions than mere fines.
“Recall that an otherwise reputable broadcast media organisation had carried a fake report that the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja was on fire during the violence that followed the protest.
“Though the organisation in question later retracted the story, the kind of reprisal attack this could have sparked is better imagined.
“Also, another reputable broadcast media organisation featured a report that identified a maintenance worker atop a bank building overlooking the Lekki tollgate in Lagos as a sniper, leading to attacks that destroyed many of the bank’s branches.
“The organisations have not even been sanctioned for these terrible disinformation, yet rabble-rousers have latched on to the fines to make all sorts of baseless allegations,’’ he said
The NBC fined Channels Television, AIT and Arise TV N3 million each on Oct. 26 over their unprofessional coverage of the #EndSARS protest and the crises that followed it.
Prof Armstrong Idachaba, acting director-general of NBC, announced the sanctions at a news conference in Abuja.
Rising cost of living, currency depreciation, and competition from streaming services have all conspired to see MultiChoice lose 589,000 South African subscribers in its latest financial year.
The decline is across premium, mid-market and mass segments of its operation.
After completing its acquisition of MultiChoice, Canal+ has moved to stabilise the business.
MultiChoice’s new leadership under David Mignot, CEO, hopes to “stop the bleeding and get back to growth”.
The new leadership has scrapped DStv’s annual price increase and decided to shut down Showmax, the in-house streaming platform that struggled to compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
Canal+execs have described Showmax as unsuccessful, noting that the difficult transition to online streaming, combined with currency devaluation in Nigeria and power cuts, had hurt MultiChoice’s profitability.
MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers across Africa, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, while revenue declined 6 percent to 2.4 billion euros.
Owners of several television and radio stations have distanced themselves from a recent threat issued by the Independent Broadcast Association of Nigeria (IBAN), which called for a boycott of media engagements involving Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory
IBAN had threatened to withdraw coverage of the minister’s activities unless he retracted his comment on Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye and issue a public apology.
However, Ambassador Yusufu Mamman, chairman and owner of JKD Television (DSTV Channel 391) and Hamada Radio Networks, has dismissed the association’s statement as baseless.
Describing Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, chairman, IBAN, as an impostor, Mamman argued that Ramalan has no authority to speak on behalf of broadcast station owners.
Mamman, who operates a television station and four radio stations, stated that he is not affiliated with any group called IBAN and would not support any action against the Minister, especially after Wike had already clarified his remarks.
“My attention has been drawn to an organisation called IBAN led by one Dr Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, speaking for and Independent Broadcasters threatening to boycott media briefing by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, unless he makes public apology in respect of his recent banters with Channels Television Anchor, Seun Okinbaloye.
“The position of so called IBAN is at best, an opinion of Mr Ramalan, who is never a broadcaster and had no idea of laws, norms, etiquette or professional broadcasting codes.
“Most importantly, Mr Ramalan has constituted himself into a fighting vehicle in courts against many broadcasting organisations and the National Broadcasting Commission.
Therefore, I urge the Minister to ignore his ranting.
“This is more so that on the live television program, the Minister took time to clarify what he meant and his Spokesperson also issued a statement saying categorically that the Minister’s comment was figurative and didn’t mean any harm,” he said.
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says the country now ranks second in Africa for domestic passengers, hitting 10.5 million in 2025—a 10 percent jump.
FAAN
FAAN boss Olubunmi Kuku disclosed this at the Airports Council International Africa conference in Luanda, Angola.
Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport posted 11.8 percent growth in air traffic movements, one of Africa’s strongest.
Cargo surged 34.4 percent at Lagos, cementing its top-tier status.
Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe and Lagos airports cracked Africa’s top 10 for domestic traffic.
Kuku stressed Nigeria’s push to host and shape African air links amid rising demand for modern, resilient airports.
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