By Obinna Uballa
President Bola Tinubu has reversed recent leadership changes at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), ordering the reinstatement of Director-General Salihu Abdullahi Dembos and Executive Director of News Ayo Adewuyi, triggering surprises in the Broadcast industry.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the directive in a statement on Tuesday titled “President Tinubu recalls DG of NTA, ED News; sets aside fresh appointments.”
Dembos, appointed in October 2023, had briefly vacated office following a wave of new appointments at the state broadcaster.
He has now been instructed to return and complete his three-year tenure.
Similarly, Adewuyi will resume his role as Executive Director of News until 2027, effectively nullifying earlier changes that introduced a new leadership team.
“The new directive effectively reversed the previously announced appointments of a director-general, executive director of news, executive director of marketing, and managing director of NTA Enterprises,” the statement noted.
The decision, according to the presidency, underscores the President’s preference for continuity at NTA, a public broadcast station established in 1977 and regarded as Africa’s largest television network, with stations across Nigeria.
Despite its prominence, NTA has long faced criticism over efficiency, dwindling funding, and stiff competition from private media houses.
Dembos, a seasoned broadcaster, rose through the ranks of the organisation before becoming DG in 2023.
His reinstatement, along with Adewuyi’s, “reflects what the administration’s move to stabilise leadership at the agency after a period of uncertainty.”
