The Hon. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has approved the request by the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), to grant a two-month Licence Fee waiver for terrestrial broadcast stations in Nigeria.
This comes as a form of palliative from the National National Broadcasting Commission, in recognition of the commendable efforts of the Broadcasting stations in sensitizing the Nigerian people about the deadly virus.
The Minister made this known at a meeting with the representatives of Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), in Abuja, on Wednesday, May 6, 2020.
Alh. Lai Mohammed acknowledged the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the operations of members of BON . Adding that the entire Creative Industry has been hard hit by the pandemic just as it has inflicted extensive damage on the economy of nations across the world.
The Chairman of BON, Hajiya Sa’a Ibrahim, represented by the Vice Chairman, Sir. Geoffrey Ohuanbuwa, expressed appreciation to the Hon. Minister for the convening the meeting.
She commended the Presidential Task Force on Covid_19, the NCDC, Medical personnel, the Security agencies, and other bodies, who have been in the frontline of the fight against the Pandemic, for their efforts at ensuring the safety of lives of the people in the country.
The BON Chairman also thanked broadcasters, especially journalists, who risk their lives, daily, in visiting Hospitals, Isolation centers, IDP Camps, Market and other places of high risk just to ensure that Nigerians get real-time information on the Pandemic.
In conclusion, she agreed with the Minister that the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the economy, the people’s way of life but that it has also created an opportunity for every country to review its survival strategy.
Also in attendance were the Ag. DG, NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, DG, FRCN, Dr. Mansur Liman, DG, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, and other Executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria.