The Federal Government on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to pass an enabling law regulating internet broadcasting and social media including Twitter which was recently banned in Nigeria.

This is just as it sought power for the National Broadcasting Commission to regulate prices, rates and tariffs imposed by satellite and cable television service providers in the country.

The statement was revealed by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at a public hearing organised by the lawmakers in Abuja on Wednesday.

The House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values had organised the hearing on five bills.

Incidentally, it was the bill seeking to amend the NBC Act that, however, generated controversy at the hearing.

The legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Broadcasting Act. Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to Strengthen the Commission and Make It More Effective to Regulate Broadcasting in Nigeria, to Provide for Payment of All Monies
Received by the Commission into the Federation Account in Accordance with Section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Encourage Liberal Openness and Favourable Competition in the Industry.’

In his presentation, Lai Mohammed criticised some sections of the NBC Act amendment bill. “I want to add here specifically that internet broadcasting and all online media should be included in this because we have responsibility to monitor content, including Twitter,” he said.

In a related development, stakeholders in the media industry have called on the House of Representatives to strip the minister and the NBC several regulatory powers.

The groups criticised the mode of appointment of the leadership of the NBC and the regulation of the industry especially relating to subscription tariffs, saying it would stifle competition and disallow fair play in the industry.

Details later…