Broadcasting
NCC To Partner ANA to Boost Creativity in Schools
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) is set to revive its youth and schools programme with the establishment of more Copyright and Creativity Clubs in schools to develop creativity and creative talents, promote respect for copyright and enhance the Commission’s delivery on its statutory mandates.
Dr. John O. Asein, Director-General of NCC, made this known at the 40th Anniversary of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and the commissioning of the ANA International Conference Centre at the Mamman Vatsa Writers’ Village, Mpape, Abuja on 5th November 2021.
Dr. Asein disclosed that, for a start, the 40 schools that recently benefitted from the donation of 40,000 books by ANA would form the pilot project of the Commission’s new enlightenment campaign as part of its collaboration with ANA to promote creativity amongst school children.
“The Commission will partner with ANA and work with the various State Chapters to encourage our children to invest more of their time in realising their creative talents. This would ensure continuity and the sustainable growth of the creative industry in Nigeria while helping the children to put their energies to fruitful pastimes”, he stated.
Commenting on the theme of the programme, Resilience and Nation Building: The Contributions of Nigerian Literature, the Director-General said, “Nigeria’s investment in the creative and knowledge economy would ultimately define its future; hence, the campaign of the NCC slogan for the 40th anniversary celebration of ANA, “Our Creativity; Our Future!”
The Director-General commended ANA for putting the 40,000 books in the hands of children in the 40 schools chosen and charged all stakeholders in the book sector to support the efforts of the Association and do whatever they could to help Nigerian children discover themselves.
He also urged them to encourage the coming generation to better appreciate Nigerian values, restore hope where there was hopelessness and help them in contributing their best for the good of the country.
“We will work together with ANA and every other stakeholder who believes in the future of this country to rebuild the character, passion and vision of these children”, he assured.
Also speaking in an interview during the anniversary, the ANA President, Dr. Camillus Ukah, said, “Creative literature is a very important tool for nation building, it is the missing link between our nation and development”.
He, therefore, called for the promotion of creative literature in view of its importance to the nation’s security and development.
Citing the dogged efforts of writers like Chinua Achebe and Professor Wole Soyinka, the ANA President emphasised that creative literature and its intellectual capital were vital to the sustenance of nation building.
In his words: “The story in literature is symbolic because it guides, corrects and shapes your mind. It is a product of resilience and key to the security of any nation because it grooms the mind and a groomed mind cannot get involved in untidy violence.“
Dr. Uka noted that the theme of this year’s ANA Convention, Resilience and Nation Building: The Contributions of Nigerian Literature, underscored the cardinal position of literature in the advancement of human cause.
He added that the Association donated the 40,000 books, comprising different titles of its members, to serve as basic materials to set up 40 ANA literary creativity centres in secondary schools across the country.
According to him, the donation was part of ANA’s literary campaign, The Book-A-Child-A-Week Project, designed to encourage every Nigerian school child to read at least one general interest and character-defining creative literature text every week. He thanked the NCC for its partnership and commitment to realising the objectives of the project.
The Secretary-General, Pan African Writers Association (PAWA), Dr. Wale Okediran, in his remarks, called for adequate funding and support for the operations of the NCC in view of the institutional and financial challenges facing it.
Dr. Okediran stated that the relevance of copyright at this crucial time in the creative sector could not be over emphasized.
“Most of the creative works are in the public space and available online which gives room for piracy. The Commission needs to be empowered for effective copyright protection and antipiracy measures”, he added.
Commending the ongoing review of the Copyright Act at the National Assembly and the renewed energy being injected into the operations of the NCC, the PAWA Secretary-General enjoined all stakeholders to support the Commission for effective implementation of its statutory mandates.
The Chairman, Nigerian Advisory Prize for Literature, Prof. Ezechi Adimora Ezigbo, delivered the keynote address on the theme: “Resilience and Nation Building: The Role of Nigerian Literature”.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are set to introduce a joint broadcast monitoring framework ahead of the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to curb unethical broadcasting and promote responsible election coverage.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, who disclosed the plan recently, said the collaboration would strengthen election monitoring through the deployment of advanced technology and closer coordination between regulatory agencies.
According to him, the increasing influence of digital and online platforms has made it imperative for regulators to work together rather than operate independently.
“We have written to INEC, and we are going to have a joint monitoring outlook over the elections. Gone are the days when agencies work in silos. When we coordinate, we’re able to monitor more effectively,” Ebuebu said.
He explained that the partnership would enable both agencies to jointly identify and address violations of broadcasting regulations during the election period instead of handling such issues separately.
Beyond INEC, Ebuebu said the NBC is also partnering with other key regulators to strengthen oversight of election-related content across digital platforms.
According to him, the commission is finalising agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) ahead of the polls to reinforce its monitoring capabilities.
“We are calling in other stakeholders to reinforce the election monitoring. We are signing agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency before the elections,” he said.
Ebuebu also revealed that the NBC is upgrading its monitoring infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools to keep pace with the rapidly expanding media landscape.
He noted that the proliferation of online platforms has made traditional monitoring methods inadequate.
“With online platforms, there are thousands of them. You need more than staff; you need AI monitoring facilities,” he said.
The NBC chief added that the commission has significantly improved its monitoring capacity and can currently track nearly 50 broadcast channels from its monitoring centre in Abuja.
He said additional monitoring facilities would be established across the country in line with evolving broadcasting technologies.As part of preparations for the 2027 elections, Ebuebu announced plans for a sensitisation workshop in Ibadan that will bring together broadcasters, INEC officials, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He said the engagement had become necessary as political discussions surrounding elections continue to grow more heated, including on television, stressing the need for broadcasters to adhere to professional standards.
Ebuebu noted that the commission has had to issue several warnings to broadcast stations for violating the broadcasting code during election periods.
“We have had to write several of them because they simply forget what the code says,” he said
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
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