Broadcasting
Iredia Calls for Law on Digitisation
Dr. Tonnie Iredia, former DG, Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), has stated that a law that addresses digital broadcasting is very important in the ditigised arena.
In a paper titled: Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting – Legal and Regulatory Challenges; presented at the recently concluded 2008 Africast Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, Iredia said digitisation provides more options through multiple channeling and is no doubt, a good policy.
He said: "In virtually every matter, each nation takes into account, the peculiarities of its own environment to formulate a policy that would set the stage and give clear and focused direction to the successful implementation of that matter. In the case of digitisation, what we have is a complex process with socio-economic implications that go beyond the obvious technical dimension."
"Issues such as an exact switchover date as well as other inevitable background matters must first of all be appropriately settled. The policy must cover the entire ground which must take into consideration that new demands are thrown up by new technologies. It is thus necessary to evolve a policy frame-work that would in the case of digital broadcasting specifically address the phenomenon because how a policy is formulated has a major effect on its outcome."
He said: "The nature of digitisation which is premised on advanced technology compels a proper legal and regulatory handling. What this implies is that even where laws have been in place, the new demands arising from the development of new technologies require legislation change. These include but are not limited to spectrum use, licencing, switching from analogue to digital, replacing analogue receivers, transmitters or upgrading the analogue infrastructure."
According to him, there is the need to institute a well articulated statute or an amendment to the relevant existing law to meet current realities; it has been done in the U.S, where a new law – the ‘Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005’ was enacted for that purpose, and same is in the offing in Tanzania and Kenya.
Iredia identified possible challenges in the digitized arena to include such physical constraints as obsolete facilities and poor infrastructural base while decrying the poor maintenance culture in this part of the world.
"In Nigeria for example, the emphasis has been on how to ‘replace’ and not how to ‘repair.’ There has also been the unfortunate trend whereby technical facilities are imported without the requisite spares procured along with them."
He stated that human capacity development is also a challenge in Nigeria because it has not been given the attention it deserves, adding that if the situation is not arrested, the country would be managing a skilled-operation run by unskilled personnel; and with little or no emphasis on the rules of the business, the industry and indeed, the regulator will be overcome by a high degree of unethical practices in the business.
"Has the nation budgeted for digitisation? How much has been budgeted for digitisation? If yes, who has it been allocated to? How well funded is the NBC for the business of regulation?" the broadcast guru mused.
"We cannot over emphasize the fact that digital broadcasting is capital intensive and requires the active support of Government. This explains why the British Government decided to bear the entire cost of the first roll out of the implementation of the switch-over from analogue to digital in the United Kingdom in October 2007."
Iredia recommended that Government should carry out some test transmissions to have a first-hand experience of digital broadcasting before throwing it out to the public while also calling for an aggressive public enlightenment to make people aware of what it entails.
He concluded by saying that Government should ensure that the laws are clear and use the societal institutions set up for the business to govern that sector in all respect; warning: "All these efforts should not be subjected to bureaucracy so that they do not fail."
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Metro Digital Limited before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over alleged cybercrime and unlawful interception and rebroadcast of content belonging to Multichoice Nigeria.
Metro Digital
The company was arraigned before Justice A.T. Mohammed on an amended four-count charge bordering on cybercrime-related offences and alleged illegal rebroadcast of protected broadcast content.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the prosecution counsel, Steve E. Odiase, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment.
However, defence counsel, S.A. Somairi (SAN), reportedly attempted to halt the proceedings by drawing the court’s attention to a pending preliminary objection.
The judge, however, declined the request and ordered that the plea be taken in line with Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which allows a corporation to enter a plea in writing through its representative.
One of the charges alleged that Metro Digital Limited, alongside its Managing Director, Ifeanyi John Nwafor, and a staff member, Ikenna Kanu, both said to be at large, conspired between 2015 and 2019 to unlawfully intercept and rebroadcast protected broadcast signals in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Another charge alleged that the defendants intentionally and without authorisation intercepted and rebroadcast broadcast signals and devices, including tiger boxes and dongles, over which Multichoice Nigeria holds exclusive rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The anti-graft agency said investigations into the matter began in 2019 after Multichoice petitioned the commission, alleging that the illegal rebroadcast of its content caused significant financial losses.
Metro Digital Limited, through its representative, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Following the plea, prosecution counsel prayed the court to fix a date for trial.
Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the case until June 29 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
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