The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), yesterday reacted to the barrage of criticisms that had continued to trail the plan by the federal government to establish a Fulani radio station using state funds.
The NBC stated that the radio is not targeted at herdsmen alone, saying it is essentially for nomadic education outreach programmes, including electronically-mediated ones.
In the statement, the NBC said that the National Commission for Nomadic Education duly applied for a broadcast license to develop and maintain nomadic education outreach programmes.
It said the medium is not meant to serve a particular group only.
NBC also reminded all broadcasters to be mindful of their social responsibility of promoting the well-being and peaceful co-existence of the various groups in Nigeria in keeping with the objectives of broadcasting in the country.
It said the letter of provisional approval dated September 28, 2018, was issued to the National Commission for Nomadic Education. The duration of the license is from October 8, 2018, to October 8, 2023. The NBC noted that the station’s programmes, which it describes as “purely educational,” will cater for the interest of migrant fishermen, herders, hunters, farmers, and migrants.
I“Consequently, it is a misrepresentation for any person or organisation to imply that the licensed station was just for a particular group.
“The commission wishes to state that similar educational broadcast licences were issued to institutions of higher learning and other governmental institutions with comparable needs, such as the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Commission, and related institutions.”
