By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has issued a stark warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asserting that a recent Federal High Court judgment poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s broadcast industry, national security, and cultural heritage.
In an open letter titled “For Records and Posterity,” Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, Chairman of the NBMOA Board of Trustees, urgently called for presidential intervention.
The plea follows a July 2nd oral judgment by Justice Omotoso of the Abuja Federal High Court, which classified ‘Arewa24 TV’ – a Hausa-language channel owned by foreign interests – as merely a “content creator,” not a broadcaster requiring licensing under Nigerian law.
Ramalan contends this ruling allows foreign entities to bypass crucial licensing requirements from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), evade taxes and levies from agencies like the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and ignore federal local content policies.
“This flawed verdict opens dangerous loopholes that can be exploited to recolonise Nigeria’s broadcast economy, drain local advertising revenue, and erode our cultural and traditional heritage,” Ramalan wrote.
The NBMOA alleges that Arewa24, despite branding itself with the culturally significant “Arewa” name and Hausa symbolism, is foreign-owned and has operated for years without fulfilling national tax and regulatory obligations.
Legitimate broadcasting in Nigeria, the association stresses, mandates licenses from the NBC plus approvals from ARCON and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The ruling, NBMOA fears, sets a precedent enabling other entities, both foreign and local, to pose as “content creators” to avoid oversight by the NBC and ARCON.
Ramalan warned this could lead to copycat channels targeting other ethnic groups (e.g., “ODUATV” for Yoruba or “FULFULDETV” for Fulani audiences), eroding indigenous control of Nigeria’s airwaves and advertising revenue.
“This is not just about the Media, but ‘National Security’. Job losses in our indigenous broadcast industry will swell youth unemployment, fueling crime and instability,” Ramalan added, demanding an immediate Executive Order to close the regulatory gaps.
The NBMOA commended the Kano State Government for taking action against Arewa24 within its jurisdiction.
Kano recently banned 22 Hausa film series on the channel for breaching censorship laws, initiated court proceedings over cultural concerns, and served a quit notice on Arewa24’s operations within the state-owned Abubakar Rimi Radio and Television (ARTV) premises, citing illegal transmission sites.
Critics allege Arewa24’s backers exploited political connections in Northern Nigeria to circumvent broadcasting rules and cultural norms, dominating the Northern TV market for over a decade and causing significant capital flight, estimated in hundreds of millions of US dollars.
These unproven allegations have fueled calls for a federal forensic investigation into Arewa24’s ownership, finances from Nigerian advertising, and the potential complicity of officials.
The NBMOA letter, also sent to the Senate President, House Speaker, security chiefs, media regulators, and the National Judicial Council, highlights rising tensions over foreign influence and regulatory weaknesses in Nigeria’s broadcast sector.
While preparing to challenge the ruling at the Federal Court of Appeal, the ECOWAS Court, and the Supreme Court, the NBMOA insists that only swift Presidential action via Executive Order, coupled with regulatory and national security measures, can prevent what it terms “cultural exploitation, financial and economic sabotage with impunity.”