Nigeria tightens media rules ahead of 2027 election

The measure has drawn criticism from the opposition and rights groups, who say it could curb free expression ahead of the vote

Nigeria’s broadcast regulator has tightened the rules for radio and TV stations ahead of the West African nation’s 2027 general election, warning presenters against airing personal opinions, “bullying” guests, and broadcasting “divisive” political material.

Breaches will attract sanctions, the National Broadcasting Commission said in a notice on Friday, adding that it has seen a “sustained increase” in violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs, and political programs.

“As Nigeria enters a critical electoral period, the airwaves must not amplify tension or propagate misinformation,” the NBC stated.

It said presenters found to have “expressed personal opinion as fact, bullied or intimidated a guest, denied fair hearing to opposing views, or otherwise compromised neutrality” would be deemed to have committed a ‘Class B breach’. These include violations involving hate speech, fake news, and copyright-related offenses, and can attract a written warning, reduced broadcast hours, and financial penalties of up to 4.999 million Nigerian naira ($3,724) for public and commercial broadcasters.

Nigeria already prohibits presenters from expressing personal opinions as fact, denying opposing views a fair hearing, and airing hateful or inflammatory political material under rules introduced in 2019 and amended in 2020, but the NBC has now warned that it will enforce them more strictly ahead of the 2027 election.

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The latest move by the NBC has drawn criticism from the opposition. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who has signaled his intention to run in the next presidential election, has described the measure as a set of “heavy-handed directives” aimed at silencing dissent.

In a post on X on Saturday, Atiku called the directive a “troubling attempt to muzzle the media and shrink the space for free expression in Nigeria,” claiming it signals “a government more interested in controlling narratives than permitting a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.”

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project human rights group has urged the government to withdraw the directive, saying it “represents a dangerous attempt to impose prior censorship on the media and suppress legitimate journalistic expression.”

Amnesty International also denounced the move on Sunday as an “outrageous and desperate” attempt by the NBC to gag journalists and the media.

Nigerian media groups and rights advocates have challenged the NBC’s sanctioning powers, most recently on April 2, 2026, when a court in Abuja dismissed the regulator’s appeal in a case brought by Media Rights Agenda over fines earlier imposed on broadcasters for alleged code breaches.