Buhari removes Idachaba as Director-General, NBC

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Acting Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Armstrong Idachaba.

Buhari equally approved the appointment of a veteran broadcaster Balarabe Shehu Ilelah as the substantiative Director-General of the NBC for a period of five years in office.

Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed announced the appointment in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.

Idachaba was appointed in 2020 following the suspension of Modibbo Kawu over alleged financial misappropriation.

The NBC under Idachaba handed out fines to some radio and television stations for allegedly contravening the country’s broadcasting codes.

Idachaba’s removal and Ilelah’s appointment are coming days after Buhari directed the NBC to immediately commence the process of licensing all over-the-top (OTT) and social media operations in Nigeria.

In a follow-up to the suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government on June 4, the NBC had ordered radio and television stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.

Also, in a newspaper advertorial signed by Idachaba on Thursday, the commission invited all social media platforms and online broadcasting service providers in the country to apply for broadcast license.

He predicated the directive on provisions of the National Broadcasting Act CAP N11, Laws of the Federation 2004, Section 2(1)(b)).

“The Commission shall have the responsibility of receiving, processing and considering applications for the establishment, ownership or operation of radio and television stations including cable television services, direct satellite broadcast (DSB), and any medium of broadcasting.

“The National Broadcasting Commission hereby directs every online broadcast service provider and social media platforms operating within the Nigerian State to apply and obtain broadcast licence for their service(s),” parts of the advertorial signed by Idachaba read.

Idachaba also stated that any online broadcast service provider that failed to obtain a license would be considered as an illegal entity.