Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has advocated for stronger regulatory oversight by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to cover online radio and television platforms to curtail the spread of unverified and inflammatory content in digital spaces.
Governor Yusuf made the call at the Africast 2025 Conference organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Lagos, where media professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders gathered to discuss emerging trends in the broadcast industry.
Gov. Yusuf, who was represented by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Kano Government House, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, expressed concern over the growing misuse of online broadcast platforms to promote divisive narratives on religion and politics.
He warned that offensive content, when left unchecked, poses a dangerous threat to peace, unity, and national security. He added that the media should remain a tool that mends walls, not an instrument of destruction in any space.
“The unregulated online broadcasting environment has become a breeding ground for misinformation and hate speech, especially on sensitive issues such as religion and politics.
“It is time for the NBC to take proactive measures to ensure accountability and ethical standards in the digital media space,” he said.
Senator Eze Kenneth Emeka, Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, commended the call and disclosed that the National Assembly is already working on an amendment to the NBC Act, which has passed the first reading in the Senate.
He noted that the amendment seeks to empower the Commission with all necessary legal authority to effectively regulate webcasts and online broadcast media platforms, ensuring that digital broadcasters are held to the same professional and ethical standards as traditional media.
Governor Yusuf’s intervention aligns with his administration’s broader advocacy for responsible media practices, digital literacy, and protection of public interest, as Nigeria navigates the evolving landscape of modern broadcasting and communication.
It could be recalled that Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State was recognised as the 2025 Most Media-Friendly Governor of the Year by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Meanwhile, the NBC has opened discussions on how African countries can adapt regulations to the rapidly changing realities of digital media, as the 2025 edition of Africast began in Lagos on Tuesday.
Declaring the conference open, the NBC Director-General, Dr Charles Ebuebu, said broadcasting on the continent had moved beyond traditional boundaries and now existed “in the cloud, the app store, the algorithm, and the audience’s hand.”
He said the shift required regulators to move from “control-based to collaborative, enabling regulation” that balances innovation with responsibility.
This year’s conference, themed “Navigating the Digital Surge: Building a Resilient African Media Ecosystem for the Future,” drew participants from across the continent to discuss how to strengthen local broadcasting in a globalised digital environment.
