NBC Ban of “Tell Your Papa” Sparks Censorship Concerns 

Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has ignited accusations of state censorship after directing radio and television stations to ban the protest song Tell Your Papa by rapper Eedris Abdulkareem, which calls on President Bola Tinubu’s son to push his father to address the nation’s worsening economic and security crises. 

The NBC, in a statement issued Thursday by Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring Susan Obi, classified the song as “Not To Be Broadcast” (NTBB), citing violations of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which prohibits content deemed “objectionable.” The directive, critics argue, represents a blatant attempt to stifle dissent and suppress freedom of expression. 

Released on Sunday, 6th April, Abdulkareem’s track directly addresses Seyi Tinubu, urging him to hold his father accountable for Nigeria’s “persistent hardships.” The song has trended widely on social media, resonating with citizens grappling with inflation, unemployment, and insecurity. 

This is not the first time Abdulkareem’s music has been restricted. In 2004, his hit Nigeria Jaga Jaga, a scathing critique of then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, faced a similar ban. The NBC has repeatedly silenced artists under successive governments, including a 2018 ban on songs by Falz, Wande Coal, and Olamide, with Jay FM 101.9 Jos fined ₦100,000 for airing them. 

Abdulkareem, 50, condemned the latest ban on Instagram, calling it proof that “speaking the truth has become a grave offence” in Nigeria. He accused the Tinubu administration of being “insensitive” and “vindictive,” adding, “The government is shielding itself by hiding the candle under the table. Any wonder why Nigeria has not made impactful strides?” 

Free speech advocates warn that NBC’s actions reflect a systemic crackdown on creative dissent. “This is textbook censorship,” said media rights group FreeVoice Nigeria. “Labeling criticism as ‘objectionable’ to silence artists undermines democratic accountability.” 

The ban coincides with rising public frustration over Tinubu’s policies, including subsidy removals and currency reforms, which have deepened poverty. Abdulkareem’s earlier 2024 track, “Emi Lo Kan,” also criticized Tinubu and prominent cleric Enoch Adeboye, highlighting hunger and ethnic discrimination. 

The presidency has not directly addressed the ban. However, NBC maintains its decision aligns with “responsible broadcasting standards.” 

The suppression of Tell Your Papa highlights the existential Nigerian fraught relationship with artistic dissent. As Abdulkareem declared, “The conscience is an open wound; only the truth can heal it.” With the Tinubu government now mirroring past regimes in censoring critics, observers fear a further erosion of civil liberties in Africa’s most populous democracy.