Business

Federal High Court bars NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations in Nigeria

Published

3 years ago

May 10, 2023

188 Views

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from imposing fines, henceforth, on broadcast stations in the country.
Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, also set aside the N500,000 fines imposed, on March 1, 2019, on each of the 45 broadcast stations.
Justice Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose sanctions as punishment on broadcast stations.
He further held that the NBC Code, which gives the commission the power to impose sanction, is in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution that vested judicial power in the court of law.
He said the court would not sit idle and watch a body imposing fine arbitrarily without recourse to the law.
He said that the commission did not comply with the law when it sat as a complainant and at the same time, the court and the judge on its own matter.
The judge agreed that the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, being a subsidiary legislation that empowers an administrative body such as the NBC to.enforce its provisions cannot confer judicial powers on the commission to impose criminal sanctions or penalties such as fines.
He also agreed that the commission, not being Nigerian police, had no power to conduct criminal investigation that would lead to criminal trial and imposition of sanctions.
“This will go against the doctrine of separation of powers,” he said.
Omotosho held that what the doctrine sought to achieve was to prevent tyranny by concentrating too much powers in one organ.
“The action of the respondent qualifies as excessiveness” as it had ascribed to itself the judicial and executive powers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NBC had, on March 1, 2019, imposed the sum of N500, 000 each on 45 broadcast stations in the country over alleged violation of its code.
However, the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda had, in an originating motions marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1386/2021, sued the NBC as sole respondent in the suit.
In the motion dated Nov. 9, 2021 by its lawyer, Noah Ajare, the group sought a declaration that the sanctions procedure applied by the NBC in imposing N500,00Q fines on each of the 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019 was a violation of the rules of natural justice.
The lawyer also said that the fines were in violation of the right to fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Articles 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (Cap AQ) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The group argued that this was so because the code, which created the alleged offences of which the broadcast stations were accused was written and adopted by the NBC, “and also gives powers to the said commission to receive complaints of alleged breaches, investigate and adjudicate the complaints, impose sanctions, including fines, and ultimately collect the fines, which the commission uses for its own purposes.”
They, therefore, sought an order setting aside the N500,000 fines purportedly imposed by the NBC on each of the 45 broadcast stations on Friday, March 1, 2019.
They also sought “an order of perpetual Injunction restraining the respondent, its servants, agents, privies, representatives or anyone acting for or on its behalf, from imposing fines on any of the broadcast stations or any other broadcast station in Nigeria for any alleged offence committed under the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.”
Delivering the judgment, Justice Omotosho decsribed the NBC’s act as being ultra vires.
He held that the fines imposed by the NBC as punishment for commission of various offences under its code were contrary to the law and hereby declared as unconstitutional, null and void.
The judge also made an order of perpetual injunction restraining the commission from further imposing fines on broadcast stations in the country.

Courtesy: (NAN)

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Business

BUA Group’s Long Service Awards: Rabiu Splashes N30bn on Staff

Five employees received N1 billion ($691,000) each, while another five were awarded N500 million ($345,000). Several others went home with N100 million ($69,000), and dozens more received sums ranging from N5 million ($3,450) to N20 million ($13,810), ensuring the rewards extended beyond senior staff and reflected the breadth of the workforce.

Published

41 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

OCHEFA

11 Views

•Abdul Samad Rabiu

Abdul Samad Rabiu, the Chairman of BUA Group, on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, shared $20.7 million (about N30 billion )in cash rewards to staff for their long -service and loyalty across the conglomerate.

The payouts were announced at the BUA Night of Excellence Long Service Awards held at Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The annual event, which brought together staff across BUA Group and its subsidiaries, was designed to recognize years of service, loyalty and day-to-day contributions that often go unnoticed outside company walls.

At the ceremony, Rabiu approved cash awards spanning multiple levels of the organization.

The awards build on a pattern that employees say has become familiar at BUA.

Business

GTCO Unveils First-Ever Holiday Edition of Food & Drink Festival, Scheduled for December 20–21, 2025

Published

1 day ago

December 13, 2025

Charles Flames

22 Views

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) has launched the inaugural Holiday Edition of its renowned GTCO Food & Drink Festival, Africa’s largest culinary event.

The two-day festival is scheduled for December 20 and 21, 2025, at the GTCentre in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

This special edition marks a festive expansion of the annual festival, blending African culinary excellence with family-oriented holiday experiences and support for small businesses.

Unlike previous editions, it shifts focus from chef masterclasses to immersive attractions tailored for the holiday season.

Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, highlighted the event’s significance: “The GTCO Food & Drink Festival is a powerful platform that aligns with our mission to fuel enterprise, promote African creativity, and connect communities through meaningful lifestyle experiences.

The Holiday Edition gives us an exciting opportunity to celebrate the festive season while supporting thousands of food entrepreneurs who form the backbone of our economy.”

Record-Breaking SME ParticipationTrue to its commitment to empowering local businesses, GTCO continues its free vendor participation model.

For this edition:

– Over 4,000 applications were received.

– 213 Nigerian-owned food SMEs were selected—nearly double the number from recent editions.

– Vendors will offer diverse, affordable culinary options, providing a high-traffic platform to boost visibility and sales during the holidays.

The surge in participation highlights the festival’s role in driving SME growth and inclusive economic development.

The 2025 Holiday Edition introduces tailored attractions:-

**Christmas Village**: A curated marketplace with handcrafted gifts, seasonal delicacies, artisanal products, and holiday entertainment.

– **Large Children’s Play Zone**: Immersive games and activities for families.

– **Street Food Hub**: Showcasing Nigeria’s vibrant street food diversity.

– **Live Entertainment**: High-energy DJ sets from top Nigerian performers.

The event aligns with GTCO’s corporate social responsibility goals, promoting community impact, SME support, and Nigeria’s creative economy.

Admission is free and open to the public, emphasizing accessibility to world-class experiences.

For more details, visit the official site at [foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com](https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com/).

Business

BOI, NCGC sign N10bn loans for women in business

BOI said that the programme would support women-led enterprises across manufacturing, ICT, digital marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, education, renewable energy, processing, waste management, and the creative industries.

Published

2 days ago

December 12, 2025

OCHEFA

19 Views

• Image of a business woman/ BOI

Nigeria’s push for inclusive economic growth gained momentum on Wednesday as the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) launched a N10 billion loan guarantee programme aimed at improving access to finance for women-owned businesses.

The agreement, signed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, represents one of the major gender focused credit support initiatives introduced in recent years.

The BOI Managing Director, Dr Olasupo Olusi and the Managing Director of NCGC, Mr Bonaventure Okhaimo, signed the MoU on behalf of their respective institutions.

The scheme, known as GLOW, meaning Guaranteed Loans for Women, provides for a 25 per cent guarantee by NCGC on BOI loans.

This arrangement is expected to reduce lender risk and create easier access to affordable credit for women entrepreneurs at concessionary interest rates, the two organisations said.

Olusi said the initiative was designed to address long-standing barriers that prevent women from accessing growth capital.

He said GLOW was structured to offer concessionary pricing at seven per cent, flexible collateral options and capacity building support, noting that these measures were intended to help close gender financing gaps within the MSME sector.