Federal Government Suspends Review of Broadcast Licence Fees
ABUJA — The Federal Government has suspended all reviews of broadcast licence fees by the National Broadcasting Commission until further notice.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris announced the decision on Monday, 9 November 2026, during a meeting with leaders of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria.
The intervention followed complaints from broadcasters about proposed fee increases and the wider cost of operating radio and television services. Idris directed the NBC to comply with the suspension while the government reviews the concerns raised by operators.
Stakeholder meeting ordered
The minister also instructed the NBC director-general to convene a stakeholders’ meeting on unresolved issues connected with Nigeria’s Digital Switchover. He said the government would consider operating pressures including electricity costs, tariffs, exchange-rate movements and access to affordable financing.
Reports of a 100 per cent licence-fee increase came from industry representatives. The minister said he had not been briefed about such an increase before the meeting. MBTV has therefore not presented the proposed percentage as an implemented government policy.
Idris also called for the National Broadcasting Code to be reviewed so that the regulatory framework reflects changes in technology and the media industry. The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria was directed to enforce the 45-day payment period for advertising services, another issue raised by broadcasters.
What the suspension means
The directive pauses fee reviews; it does not abolish existing NBC licence fees. Broadcasters remain subject to current regulatory requirements unless the commission issues a separate formal notice changing them.
The announcement matters for independent broadcasters and smaller stations, which have repeatedly cited energy, equipment and currency costs as major pressures. The next substantive step will be the promised consultation between regulators and industry stakeholders.
Sources: Voice of Nigeria report of the minister’s announcement; ThisDay report.
Featured image: illustrative broadcast-studio photograph by Josh Sorenson via Unsplash. It does not depict the meeting described.
