RismadarVoice Reporters, May 6, 2026
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from enforcing parts of its broadcasting code used to sanction media organisations and presenters over editorial conduct.
In a ruling delivered on May 4, 2026, Justice Daniel Osiagor granted an interim injunction barring the commission from acting on its recent “Formal Notice,” which had warned broadcasters against expressing personal opinions as facts, intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.
The order followed an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). Their counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, argued that the NBC’s actions were arbitrary and inconsistent with constitutional protections.
Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, restrained the NBC and its agents from “enforcing, imposing sanctions, or levying fines on any broadcasting station” under several contested provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the determination of a motion on notice.
The suit challenges the legality of those provisions, with SERAP and NGE asking the court to determine whether they violate the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
A certified true copy of the ruling obtained on Tuesday confirmed that the injunction will remain in place until the court hears and decides the substantive application for interlocutory relief.
Reacting in a joint statement on Wednesday, SERAP and NGE described the decision as “a significant victory for freedom of expression, media freedom, and the rule of law in Nigeria.”
They argued that the court’s intervention underscores the need for regulatory agencies to operate within constitutional limits, particularly when fundamental rights are at stake.
The organisations also urged the NBC to comply fully with the court’s directive.
The case has been adjourned to June 1, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice.
