Human rights organisation Amnesty International has strongly criticised a recent directive issued by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), describing it as an attempt to suppress press freedom in Nigeria.
The directive, dated April 17, 2026, warned broadcasters particularly those handling political and current affairs programmes against expressing personal opinions, intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality on air.
Reacting, Amnesty International said the move imposes “unduly restrictive and invasive controls” on journalists and media organisations, arguing that it could force self-censorship and weaken democratic accountability.
The group’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, stated that the directive undermines media independence and violates international human rights protections, including the right to freedom of expression and access to information.
Amnesty further insisted that the NBC lacks the authority to dictate how journalists perform their duties, calling the directive an “outrageous” attempt to gag the media ahead of the 2027 elections.
It urged Nigerian authorities to halt what it described as a growing effort to silence journalists, stressing that a free and independent media is essential to democracy.
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