Broadcasting
NBC Fines Arise TV, TVC N2m over Breach of Broadcast Code
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Arise News TV and TVC N2 million each for allegedly breaching the national broadcasting code in the countdown to the 2023 general elections.
Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, director general, NBC, imposed the fine in separate letters he wrote to the managements of the affected organisations yesterday.
The NBC ordered that the fines should be paid within two weeks of the receipt of the letters or the sanction would be graduated.
In its letter to TVC, the commission accused the television station of breaching sections of the code.
NBC accused TVC News of allowing derogatory and unfair comments to be broadcast on its station.
Ilelah said the worrisome trend had become a house style on TVC.
It said the unprofessional broadcasts by TVC include the Joint media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council press briefing where Festus Keyamo said; “Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja…” and alleged that some goons of Atiku Abubakar were planning to eliminate Michael Achimugu, a whistleblower.
It also excoriated TVC News for not giving equal news coverage to other political parties in all their news.
In the letter to Arise TV, NBC said there were infractions in sections of the code.
The commission cited the broadcast of the presidential campaign rally of PDP in Delta, the interview with Na’jaatu Muhammed, former APC campaign director, and broadcast of the PDP presidential campaign rally in Sokoto.
It slammed Arise Global Media for giving prominence to unfair content which are glamorized on Arise news programme “What is Trending”.
In the letter to Arise TV, Breach Of The Nigeria Broadcasting Code: A Sanction, NBC said it monitored the consistent breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code over a period of time during the countdown to the 2023 General Elections.
It said it was a worrisome trend and had become a house style on the channel that enjoys national coverage.
It said it had gotten so unprofessional that unfair content trending on social media were given prominence and unethically glamorised on Arise news programme “What is Trending”.
The commission said some of such unprofessional broadcasts include; “On the 24th of January, 2023, between 1.00 pm 2.27 pm, Arise TV aired Presidential campaign Rally of PDP which was held in Delta State, replete with unfair remarks and mockery of the APC presidential Candidate by DINO Melaye. Mr. Melaye sang a song “…hand dey shake, leg dey shake, baba wey no well, e dey shout emilokan” he further went on to fall down demonstrating the frailty of the APC presidential Candidate. Arise TV did not only air the programme but repeated the distasteful clip of Dino Melaye in a mockery of the APC Presidential candidate in another programme anchored by Ojy Okpe What’s Trending. The Presenter and her Colleagues had a good laugh over such unfair treatment of one another.
“On the 26th January 2023, at 9.40 am, during the programme Morning Show, a guest, Na’jaatu Muhammed described the Presidential Candidate of APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as mentally deranged without caution from the anchor. The Guest had a field day with vituperations against the Presidential Candidate of the APC. She referred to him as Senile.
“On 31-01-2023 at 3:30 pm, during the broadcast of the PDP Presidential Rally in Sokoto State, Dino melaye referred to the Vice Presidential Candidate of APC, Kashim Shettima as GCOB, meaning Grand Commander of Bandits.
“During the same Campaign, PDP Presidential chieftain, Dino Malaye said, “we should be happy that our candidate’s hands don’t shake, his legs don’t shake and he doesn’t have a bell that rings in his head” he further said, “if APC come for campaign, sing a song after them saying, APC are bed-wetters…” then he said again, “…his name is not Bola, his name is bola” (the difference is in pronunciation, later meaning dustbin).
“Hajiya Naja’atu in the same broadcast said, “We are not going to vote for hypocrites, the one that lied that he is a Muslim, but he doesn’t know how to recite the suratul fatiha. We are not going to vote for an illiterate that doesn’t know anything, if people insist on voting him then they should also get ready to allow him lead them in prayers…”
In the letter to TVC, NBC said the station said it has gotten so unprofessional that hate speech, inflammatory, derogatory, and unfair comments are been broadcast on the station.
For the avoidance of doubt, NBC listed some of such unprofessional broadcasts as;
“On 06/01/23 at 12:29 PM, the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council made the following comments while briefing the media. Festus Keyamo: “…Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja. At the same time that Ahmed Bola Asiwaju was toiling hard, beautifully, and meticulously to rebuild Lagos, 2 criminals were stealing money in Abuja at the time…they both stole from the SPV account at that time.”
Speaking about the whistleblower, Micheal Achimugu, he said, “We suspect that some goons of Atiku Abubakar are planning to eliminate him and members of his family. In fact, my big brother FFK actually hinted me about something like that yesterday…
“On 24/01/23 at 03:39 PM, during the APC Presidential Rally in Abia State. The APC Presidential Candidate BOLA AHMED TINUBU after telling the public to vote APC under the symbol of broom, he went on to make the following comment “… You know what you do with the rest of them? They are like lizards, cockroaches, and mosquitoes. Just take the broom, wipe them off”
“On 31/01/23 at 02:37 pm, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally which held in Anambra State. The party’s Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu also made the following remarks; “…When you hear Atiku used the word Muslim and say ‘Wallahi, Talahi’, you know what is in his heart? “na lie I lie”. Anytime you hear Atiku say Wallahi Talahi, just reply him say, na lie you lie.”
“… The man who left here, he calls himself Peter Obi. We read in the Bible, that before cock crows 3 times, he will deny Jesus Christ. He denied, so how can he keep a promise to you if he cannot keep a promise to God.
“On 30/01/23 at 03:50 PM during the APC Presidential Rally in Akwa Ibom State, the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the following unfair comment against the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. Thus: “…Who rescued him from Obasanjo who wanted to roast him like Goat Meat?” Speaking against Emmanuel Udom, “he said “…That boy wey bring Atiku here, Wey dey call himself Governor tells him Enough is Enough, He lives in my backyard in Lagos if no be because we be one, I’ll drive him home…the biggest palace that he build I’ll just put lizard and pigeon and scorpion there if not because you begged me”.
The commission added that monitoring also indicated that TVC News does not give equal news coverage to other political parties in all their news.
Luft Pay TV has officially launched in Nigeria’s Pay TV landscape, bringing a fresh perspective to home entertainment.
Officials of Luft Pay TV at the launch
The brand’s dynamic debut in Lagos recenlty, drew media executives, content creators, industry stakeholders, and entertainment enthusiasts.
Yemi Adebowale, head of Corporate Communications and Media at Luft Pay TV, emphasised the brand’s mission to simplify entertainment and provide real value. “Luft Pay TV is more than just another player in the market.
He said, “We’re here to simplify entertainment, eliminate confusion around billing, and provide real value with high-definition content that reflects both global quality and local identity.
Luft Pay TV’s standout feature is its all-in-one subscription model, offering over 35 premium channels for ₦7,500 per month.
The channel lineup includes Sports, Live sports action, Movies: Nollywood and Hollywood films as well as Kids’ Programming, Documentaries, Music and Lifestyle content.
“Decoder and STB Kit Prices: Decoder: ₦25,000 – Complete STB kit with accessories: ₦35,000. As a proudly Nigerian brand, Luft Pay TV is committed to promoting local storytelling through partnerships with indigenous content creators.
“This initiative aims to project African stories globally and provide an inclusive, affordable, and proudly African entertainment experience to Nigerians everywhere.”
Luft Pay TV has commenced nationwide installations across the six geopolitical zones, supported by a growing distribution network and robust customer service infrastructure.
This ensures a seamless user experience for subscribers
With its innovative approach and commitment to Nigerian talent, Luft Pay TV is poised to revolutionise the television experience in Nigeria.
By Aniekan Ezekiel
What happens when legacy meets preparedness? What results from such a combination? Let us not be in a hurry to put forward any answers yet. Instead, let us consider first the opposite situation: When legacy meets unpreparedness.
The world abounds in examples of this distressing situation. A dynasty that has built wealth from generation to generation, with its illustrious heirs providing generational leadership, finds itself in a strange phase where an ill-prepared heir takes over the reins and in that same generation, not the next, wipes out the entire family fortune built over several generations.
We see the same thing with nations. History is replete with examples of great nations built by great leaders, which slid into oblivion when they were hit by arguably the greatest misfortune that ever befalls humanity – bad leadership. It is the reason American author and leadership expert John Maxwell asserts, “Everything rises and falls with leadership.”
As with nations, so with organisations. We see organisations that have thrived for decades and over several generations, get a new leader who is not prepared for such leadership, and the leader pushes the organisation to the brink of collapse.
Contrast this picture with the situation at Nigeria’s most enduring corporate organisation with the most amazing legacies of firsts, First Bank of Nigeria Limited, which witnessed a leadership transition about a year ago. Faced with a number of quality options in and outside the then management team, the decision-makers at the bank and its parent company FBNHoldings, now First HoldCo Plc, had to be clear-minded about who could become the new Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group.
Equally important as the need for continuity was the non-negotiable requirement for capacity to manage the ship of the 130-years-plus institution to sustain its enviable legacies and consolidate the gains made in recent years. The search was for someone with a steady head and hands (talk of risk control and mitigation), in addition to an excellent track record of sterling performance and achievements.
Fortunately, fate was on their side. They did not have to look outside. Right there before them was someone who understood all kinds of risks and how to control and mitigate them. He had been with FirstBank since 2016 when he joined as Group Executive / Chief Risk Officer. Then in January 2022 he was elevated to Executive Director / Chief Risk Officer and Executive Compliance Officer.
This man has given nearly three decades of his working life to the banking and financial services industry. He has under his belt a rich tapestry of cross-functional experience in credit risk management, financial planning and control, credit and marketing, and trade. His cross-functional exposure also includes corporate and commercial banking, agriculture financing, oil and gas, transportation, including aviation and shipping, and project financing
Meet Olusegun Alebiosu, the man history had prepared and the one decision-makers chose among the quality options. He was appointed substantive Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group in June 2024, having acted in that capacity since April 2024 when the former CEO left.
Determined to build on the bank’s legacies while navigating the ever-changing landscape of the financial services industry, Alebiosu has shown unwavering commitment to lead the bank through a transformative period that places emphasis on strategic consolidation, technological advancement and market expansion.
Alebiosu’s approach to sustaining the legacies of firsts at FirstBank, which has been at the vanguard of accelerating Nigeria’s digital payments as the first bank to issue over 13 million cards to customers, draws from his vast professional experience which began with Oceanic Bank Plc, now Ecobank Plc, in 1991. Between then and joining FirstBank in 2016, he had worked at Coronation Merchant Bank as Chief Risk Officer, at African Development Bank Group as Chief Credit Risk Officer and at United Bank for Africa as Group Head, Credit Policy and Deputy Chief Credit Risk Officer.
Under one year of his appointment as substantive CEO of FirstBank, Alebiosu’s strategic consolidation efforts have demonstrated that he is a worthy successor, not an ill-prepared or unprepared one, proving the decision-makers right. Understanding the critical role of its human capital in sustaining the bank’s legacies, Alebiosu has invested himself and the bank’s resources in promoting staff welfare.
A comprehensive review of the bank’s compensation structure was undertaken to position it within the 75th percentile of the industry, making the bank more retentive of, and attractive to, the best talents. The highest number of staff promotions across various grades in the last five years has happened under Alebiosu’s watch, with 1,654 employees being elevated in one single promotion cycle.
Under his leadership, over 2,186 new hires have been recruited across key functions and subsidiaries, with a large number of them deployed to the sales function to ensure that retail customers are adequately served. Staff are now more engaged based on the high employee engagement score of 86% achieved in the April 2025 WorkBuzz survey, indicating remarkable progress in the bank’s multi-pronged efforts to promote a positive and inclusive workplace culture.
This drive to reinforce a culture of inclusion and recognition has been accentuated by the launch of a group-wide culture transformation initiative with the goal of embedding the core values of integrity, excellence and innovation. It has also been strengthened by a renewed focus on inclusion, collaboration and high performance. Also contributing was the staging of a FirstBank Employee Appreciation Day 2025 featuring, among others, a personalised appreciation video message from the CEO to all employees across the group throughout Africa and beyond. The inclusion message is further boosted by the launch of the inaugural edition of the bank’s pioneering initiative, Mandarin Language School, to bolster the bank’s expansion in the Asian market.
Expansion is a critical plank in FirstBank’s new strategic planning horizon, under Alebiosu’s leadership. Taking off this 2025, the plan seeks to reinforce the bank’s market dominance across all operational regions and it includes deliberate expansion into new markets within and outside Africa.
Beyond geographical and horizontal expansion, Alebiosu’s plan has also targeted a skyward expansion. Or how else does one describe the groundbreaking ceremony in March 2025 for the bank’s new green-certified, 44-storey iconic head office building in Eko Atlantic City, Lagos State?
Alebiosu is also prioritising the acceleration of process automation in recognition of the importance of digital transformation. It is a massive push for technological advancement that includes adopting robotics technology and artificial intelligence at scale, to give the bank an unassailable competitive advantage among its peers in the industry.
The bank has deployed digital tools to enhance seamless account opening and optimised backend systems and customer service delivery. Two additional Digital Experience Centres (DXCs) have been launched – one at Lekki Admiralty Way, Lagos State and the other at its UNN branch, Nsukka, Enugu State. Also, the bank’s agent network has expanded to over 280,000, a 50,000 increase from the 230,000 agents it had in 2023.
As expected, shareholders, among other stakeholders, have been observing the strides the bank has been making under Alebiosu’s leadership, with a keen eye on the numbers. Fortunately, again, the bank’s results for the financial year ended December 2024 speak volumes, with after-tax profit of its parent company rising to the highest point it has reached in the last 12 years, according to the company’s latest financial statement.
In recognition of his achievements within such a short period and his exemplary leadership, Alebiosu was honoured at the World Business Outlook Awards as “Banking CEO of the Year – Nigeria 2025”. He has also been honoured with the “Special African Banking Leadership Award” by African Leadership Magazine. This was in 2024.
The story of Alebiosu’s leadership at FirstBank has clearly been one of preparedness meeting legacy. Working with the board and management team, he has consistently sustained the bank’s legacies and also consolidated its recent gains in ways that will ensure the gains keep compounding. FirstBank, more than ever before, is poised for greater intra- and intercontinental growth and impact in the years ahead.
South Africa’s competition authority announced Wednesday it had approved the buyout of Africa’s largest pay TV enterprise MultiChoice by France’s Canal+, which wants to expand its footprint on the continent.
The merger, which has been in the works for nearly a year, needs the final go-ahead from the commission’s Competition Tribunal, it said in a statement.
Canal+ holds around 45 percent of MultiChoice’s shares and offered last year to acquire the remainder for 125 rand (6.16 euro) per share.
Canal+ is present in 25 African countries through 16 subsidiaries and has eight million subscribers, according to the French group.
MultiChoice operates in 50 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and has 19.3 million subscribers, it said.
It includes Africa’s premier sports broadcaster, SuperSport, and the DStv satellite television service.
“This is a major step forward in our ambition to create a global media and entertainment company with Africa at its heart,” Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said in a statement.
The commission said its approval of the merger was subject to public-interest conditions worth about 26 billion rand over three years, including increasing the shareholding of people disadvantaged under South Africa’s white-minority apartheid regime.
It will also maintain the MultiChoice headquarters in South Africa.
A date for the Tribunal’s decision on the merger has not been announced but Canal+ said it was aiming for the deal to be completed by early October.
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