Zainab
The ECOWAS Court has fixed 27 September for judgement in a suit challenging some provisions of the Nigerian governments national broadcasting code.
The contested provisions of the code empower the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to impose fines on any erring Nigerian broadcast station.
The NBC can shut down broadcasting stations that fail to comply with its sanctions.
Major Nigerian broadcast stations have been strained by exorbitant fines for breaches of the code in the last few years, some of which have triggered court actions.
Coincidentally, a Nigerian court, on Wednesday, invalidated NBCs power of to impose fines on the countrys broadcast stations in a judgement on Wednesday.
A panel of the ECOWAS Court led by Dupe Atoki had heard a case filed in 2020 on a similar matter on Monday (8 September), a statement by the courts information unit stated Wednesday.
The court picked 27 September to deliver its judgement after the hearing.
Keypoints
- Plaintiffs case
- Counterargument
- Controversial restrictions
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