NBC Warns Broadcasters, Publishers, Bloggers Against Hate Speech, Misinformation

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has warned broadcasters, online publishers, bloggers and other information disseminators against turning their platforms into channels for misinformation

The commission directed licensed broadcasters to ensure fairness, balance and equitable treatment of political parties and candidates

The NBC cautioned broadcasters against projecting winners or declaring leads from unofficial results, exit polls or collated figures, stressing that election results and declarations should only be broadcast as announced by authorised electoral officers

The commission said it would intensify surveillance of political broadcasts, including news, debates, phone-in programmes, interviews, sponsored content, live broadcasts and political advertisements

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has issued a stern warning to broadcasters, online publishers, bloggers and other content creators against using their platforms to spread misinformation, hate speech, inflammatory materials or unverified political claims capable of threatening peace and stability during the 2027 elections.

The warning followed the lifting of the ban on political campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, formally ushering Nigeria into an increasingly competitive electioneering period.

In a statement issued by Moses Jolayemi, Technical Adviser to the Director-General of the NBC, the commission said the commencement of political campaigns placed an even greater responsibility on those involved in disseminating information to uphold accuracy, fairness, professionalism and public interest.

The commission urged media organisations and other information platforms to approach the electioneering season not merely as a commercial opportunity but as a serious public responsibility.

It said credible information, responsible journalism and fair political discourse would be critical to protecting national cohesion and enabling Nigerians to make informed decisions at the polls.

Jolayemi quoted the NBC Director-General, Charles Ebuebu, as warning radio and television broadcasters to recognise the enormous influence their platforms wield over public opinion and the choices citizens make during elections.

Ebuebu specifically urged licensed broadcasters to ensure that political coverage was fair, balanced and equitable, stressing that their platforms must not be used to promote or suppress political parties, candidates or particular viewpoints.

The commission also warned against presenting unverified political claims, allegations, statistics or assertions as established facts. It said allegations bordering on corruption, criminality, electoral manipulation, misconduct and other issues capable of damaging the reputation of individuals or institutions must undergo appropriate editorial verification before being broadcast.

The NBC further reminded broadcasters of the right of reply, particularly where an individual or organisation had been genuinely misrepresented.

It cautioned presenters, anchors, reporters, producers and hosts of political programmes against allowing their personal political opinions to be presented as facts.

According to the commission, presenters must not intimidate or harass guests, suppress opposing views or manipulate discussions in favour of particular political interests.

The responsibility for content aired by a station, it stressed, remains with the broadcaster, including materials introduced by guests, callers and panellists during live or interactive programmes.

Airtime, Political Advertising Under Watch

The NBC said it would pay close attention to the allocation of political airtime throughout the campaign period. It directed broadcasters to maintain accurate records showing the dates, programmes and duration of political airtime allocated to political parties and candidates.

The commission emphasised that equal opportunity should go beyond simply making airtime available for purchase, saying editorial and programming practices must not systematically give an unfair advantage to any political party, candidate or viewpoint.

It also directed that political advertisements must remain clearly distinguishable from news reports, editorial content, analysis and independent programming.

Political advertising, it reminded broadcasters, remains subject to the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and must meet requirements relating to truth, decency, good taste and morality.

The commission expressed particular concern over the use of broadcast, digital and social media platforms to circulate inflammatory and divisive political content.

It warned against materials capable of inciting violence, promoting hatred, threatening public order or deepening ethnic, religious, regional or political divisions.

The NBC urged media practitioners and content creators not to allow the political season to become an avenue for mobilising Nigerians against one another.

No Unofficial Results, Projections

The commission also issued a strong warning against the dissemination of election results or projections from unofficial sources.

According to the NBC, broadcasters must not use collated figures from polling stations, exit polls or other unofficial sources to project or speculate on which candidate is leading or likely to win an election.

It said election results and declarations of winners should only be broadcast as announced by duly authorised electoral officers.

The commission further reminded broadcasters of the statutory campaign silence period, directing that partisan political broadcasts, campaigns, jingles and announcements must stop no later than 24 hours before polling day.

The NBC said its monitoring of political broadcasts would be intensified throughout the electioneering period.

The monitoring will cover paid political advertisements as well as news bulletins, current affairs programmes, political debates, phone-in programmes, interviews, commentaries, sponsored programmes, live broadcasts and other platforms through which political content is disseminated.

Particular attention, it said, would be paid to patterns of airtime allocation, fairness and balance, inflammatory content, misinformation, hate speech, incitement, presenter conduct, political advertising and compliance with the campaign silence period.

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Online Platforms Also Under Scrutiny

The commission extended its appeal to online publishers, bloggers, social media commentators and other content creators involved in disseminating election-related information.

It urged them to exercise the highest degree of responsibility, stressing that the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process would depend not only on the conduct of political parties, candidates and electoral officials but also on the quality of the information environment in which voters make their decisions.

The NBC called on broadcasters, editors, presenters, producers, reporters, political advertisers, online publishers, bloggers and other stakeholders in the information ecosystem to avoid becoming vehicles for false, hateful, inflammatory or deliberately misleading information.

The commission clarified that its objective was not to restrict legitimate political expression or robust political debate but to ensure that Nigeria’s information environment remained conducive to peaceful democratic participation.

It consequently urged all stakeholders to familiarise themselves with relevant provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Electoral Act 2026 and applicable regulations and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).