Broadcast Media Owners Caution Over Ruling On Arewa24

The Northern Broadcast Media Owners Association (NBMOA) has said the recent court Federal High Court judgment on Arewa24 TV, a Hausa-language channel, threatens Nigeria’s broadcast industry and cultural identity.

In a letter titled: “For Records and Posterity”, the chairman of NBMOA’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, called for urgent action by President Bola Tinubu.

The Board of Trustees of NBMOA had filed a lawsuit against Arewa 24 Limited and seven other entities, alleging that they were operating without proper licenses.

In a substantive judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 2, 2025 the court held that AREWA24, a leading Hausa language entertainment and lifestyle television channel and production studio in Northern Nigeria, operates legally, and had breached no law in Nigeria and as such the suit of NBMOA over AREWA 24’s legality to operate in the region lacked merit.

But Ramalan said the ruling effectively grants foreign broadcasters free rein to bypass licensing requirements, dodge taxes and ignore national content regulations.

“This flawed verdict opens dangerous loopholes that can be exploited to recolonise Nigeria’s broadcast economy, drain local advertising revenue, and erode our cultural heritage,” he wrote.

According to NBMOA, obtaining a license from the  National Broadcasting Commission  (NBC), in addition to approvals from agencies such as the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), is a prerequisite for any legal broadcasting operation in Nigeria.

The association also raised concerns about the cultural orientation and ownership structure of AREWA24. It alleges that the channel, despite projecting itself as a Hausa-language station, operates in contradiction to core Arewa (Northern Nigerian) cultural values and ideals.

The association fears the ruling sets a precedence that could allow other local and foreign players to pose as “content creators”, thereby resisting oversight from the NBC and ARCON.

Ramalan warned that the same legal loophole could pave the way for copycat channels under other regional identities, diluting indigenous control over Nigeria’s airwaves and advertising market.

“This is not just about the media, but ‘national security’. Job losses in our indigenous broadcast industry will swell youth unemployment, fueling crime and instability,” he added, calling for an immediate Executive Order to close the gaps before they deepen.

NBMOA, however, expressed delight with the Kano State government for promptly addressing the controversy surrounding Arewa24 TV’s on-air operations.

The letter, also sent to the Senate President, House Speaker, security chiefs and media regulators, underlines growing tension in Nigeria’s broadcast sector over foreign influence and regulatory loopholes.

NBMOA said it was preparing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal, the ECOWAS Court and the Supreme Court, but insists that only a decisive executive action can prevent what it described as cultural exploitation and economic sabotage.