The Federal Government has urged the House of Representatives to pass laws regulating internet broadcasting and social media in Nigeria including Twitter which it recently banned in Nigeria.

The government also seeks powers for the National Broadcasting Commission to regulate prices, rates, and tariffs imposed by satellite and cable television service providers in the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the call at a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives in Abuja on Wednesday, where stakeholders in the media industry also called on the lawmakers to strip the minister and the NBC of several regulatory powers.

The groups also criticized the mode of appointment of the leadership of the NBC and the regulation of the industry especially relating to subscription tariffs, saying it would stifle competition and disallow fair play in the industry.

The House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values had organized the hearing on five bills.

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The bill seeking to amend the NBC Act, however, generated controversy at the hearing.

The legislation is titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Broadcasting Act. Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to Strengthen the Commission and Make It More Effective to Regulate Broadcasting in Nigeria, to Provide for Payment of All Monies Received by the Commission into the Federation Account by Section 162 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Encourage Liberal Openness and Favourable Competition in the Industry’.

In his presentation, Lai Mohammed criticized some sections of the NBC Act amendment bill. “I want to add here specifically that internet broadcasting and all online media should be included in this because we have a responsibility to monitor content, including Twitter,” he said.

Details later…