The European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) says NTA and FRCN did not exhibit professionalism during the 2023 general election in February.
The report said NTA and FRCN policy lack merits, and former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, enjoyed this privilege during the election, as the government-owned outlets notably quoted him during the political campaign period.
“Both can be dismissed on vague grounds,” the EU said. “Legal provisions authorising the minister to give orders to both broadcasters while also requiring the NTA and FRCN to highlight the activities of the government has made both broadcasters prone to political interference with editorial policies. Notably, during the campaign, the Minister of Information was the second most quoted politician within NTA’s newscasts.”
The report argued that the outlets’ conduct contradicted international standards and will further diminish the public’s confidence in their outputs.
“Overall, both broadcasters’ legal and operational standing not only conflicts with regional and international standards for publicly financed media but also erodes public confidence in the objectivity of NTA’s and FRCN’s editorial outputs.”
A review of the EU report stated that the immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Mohammed appointed the director of NTA and FRCN without making it public to the citizens.
It noted that the government-owned broadcasters did not have editorial and financial independence.
“The legal and regulatory framework for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) does not ensure broadcasters’ editorial independence and financial autonomy.
“The president appoints the director general of the NTA, while the Minister of Information, upon approval of the president, designates that of the FRCN. Pre-selection of candidates for both positions is not prescribed and has never been public.”
