• Broadcasters allege ‘miscarriage of justice’
• Say U.S.-owned channel exploits loopholes
• Demands fair play, protection for local media industry
By Aminu Imam
The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association, (NBMOA), has rejected the Federal High Court judgment that dismissed its suit against Arewa24, vowing to fight on at the Court of Appeal.
Recall that the Federal High Court, in August, dismissed the suit filed by NBMOA against Arewa24, citing ‘lack of jurisdiction and lack of merit’.
The court, in a statement, affirmed that Arewa24 operates legally and it is under no obligation to obtain any additional license for its operations, having breached no law.
However, NBMOA Chairman, Alhaji (Dr.) Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, in an issued press statement on Tuesday, said the presiding judge, Justice Omotosho’s ruling amounted to “legalising unlicensed foreign channels to parasite freely in Nigeria’s broadcast-advertising industry”.
The Association insists that: Arewa24 is an American-owned channel, with offices in Kano and Lagos. It transmits Hausa dramas and imported, dubbed international shows to Nigerian homes via DStv, GOtv and StarTimes.
Despite its operations, it has no NBC broadcasting licence. It also charges “outrageously priced” advert rates while bypassing obligations imposed on local broadcasters.
NBMOA accused the court of misclassifying Arewa24 as a ‘mere content creator’ instead of a broadcaster, warning the ruling undermines Nigeria’s regulatory framework and threatens indigenous stations already struggling under tough competition.
According to the association, the channel lacks a valid NBC licence yet competes for adverts with “outrageous” rate cards. It said indigenous broadcasters who follow the law are being forced out of business.
“This judgment legalises unlicensed foreign media channels to parasite freely in Nigeria. We will not stand by while foreign operators camouflage and distort the media landscape and our industry is hijacked”, Ramalan declared.
NBMOA has filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Abuja demanding justice, seeking to overturn the ruling and enforce regulatory fairness, protection of local content, and a level-playing field in the broadcasting space.
