Kano State governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has submitted a comprehensive memorandum to the Senate Committee on Information during the ongoing review of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act.
According to the governor, the memorandum proposes extensive reforms to Nigeria’s broadcasting regulatory framework, with a particular focus on online media regulation, ethical standards, and the protection of journalists.
Yusuf, represented by his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, disclosed this on Saturday at the 2nd Annual National Conference and Induction Ceremony of the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters in Kano.
A statement from the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mustapha Muhammad, explained that the memorandum was developed following extensive consultations with media professionals, legal experts, and civil society groups.
The governor’s document addresses challenges posed by misinformation, unethical broadcasting, and unregulated online content, especially within political and religious messaging.
“At the 2025 Africa Summit in Lagos, His Excellency challenged the NBC to establish higher standards for censorship, review and regulation of online content, which continues to shape public opinion and sometimes inflame tensions”, the statement quoted Bature as saying.
He added that the governor has now finalised the memorandum for formal submission to the Senate Committee on Information.
The memorandum highlights key areas requiring legislative reinforcement, including the regulation of digital broadcasting and online platforms, ethical guidelines for political and religious content, protection for journalists, adoption of global best practices in the era of artificial intelligence, and stricter penalties for harmful or unprofessional broadcasting.
Bature said the governor’s pro-active engagement demonstrates his commitment to building a responsible, future-ready broadcasting sector.
He noted that Yusuf’s support for press freedom and media development has earned recognition from the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Nigeria Labour Congress, Leadership newspapers, This Nigeria Newspapers, and African Heritage magazine.
Additionally, the administration has prioritised media development in Kano through the 2025 and 2026 budgets, sponsorship of postgraduate studies abroad for students, and the revitalisation of three media-related institutions — the Institute of Development Journalism at ARTV headquarters, the Institute of Film Production, and the Institute of Information Technology in Kura.
“These institutions are now operational, training young Kano citizens in
journalism, film, digital media, and information technology”, he stated.
Bature officially declared the 2025 SNB Annual Conference and Induction Ceremony open on behalf of the governor, and
urged media practitioners to uphold ethical standards, emphasising that the integrity of information remains central to Nigeria’s unity.
Amnesty Int’l slams FG over school attacks in Nigeria
Amnesty International, (AI), has criticised the Nigerian government for failing to protect children following the recent abduction of 315 students and staff members from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Niger State.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said that the wave of attacks in northern states showed persistent gaps in the protection of schoolchildren.
“The Nigerian authorities are failing children, as over 230 children in the North are in the captivity of gunmen this week, after their abduction during two mass attacks on schools which also interrupted the education of thousands of children due to the closure of hundreds of schools in Katsina, Plateau, and other states”, he said.
Sanusi added that previous incidents have not prompted sufficient preventive measures.
“The latest wave of attacks on schools in Kebbi and Niger State clearly shows Nigerian authorities never cared to learn any lessons from such previous incidents in which some school children were also killed by gunmen. School children in some parts of northern Nigeria are constantly at risk of death or abduction”, he said.
The human rights organisation also warned that the educational future of many children in northern Nigeria is under threat. According to Sanusi, insecurity has forced the indefinite closure of hundreds of schools, while some children, particularly girls, have been withdrawn from school or married off to protect them from possible abduction.
“The protection of children’s lives is paramount, and the Nigerian authorities have a duty to ensure that the country’s educational sector is not further threatened by the abductions, intimidation and killing of school children”, he said.
Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government to investigate the attacks as potential war crimes or crimes against humanity, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
The organisation called on authorities to ensure that attacks on schools are properly investigated and that alleged perpetrators face fair trials, emphasising that the right to life and the right to education must be safeguarded.
