Regulatory Policies and Community Broadcasting in Nigeria

The broadcast media landscape in Nigeria changed in 1992 following the approval of private individuals and organisations to own and operate private radio and television stations. In Rivers State, there are sixteen private commercial stations, in addition to two state-owned stations and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). Sadly, there is no single community-based radio station in the state, and the story is the same in most states in Nigeria, despite the important role such a media platform plays. Expectedly, the commercial radio stations focus mostly on issues of regional and national interest, leaving the rural populace unrepresented and their issues underreported. Against this backdrop, this discourse investigated whether the deregulation of the electronic media in Nigeria does not cover community broadcasting. The survey research method was used. The population consists of 649,600 residents in Obio/Akpor LGA in Rivers State, Nigeria, and the Australian online sample size calculator was used to derive 278. A systematic sampling technique was employed in the study. Questionnaire served as the instrument for data collection, and the data was analysed using simple percentages. The findings revealed that the development of community radio is being stifled by discriminatory and exorbitant licence fees charged by the federal government of Nigeria. In the light of this, this discourse recommends a far-reaching reduction of the licence fee for community broadcasting, as well as the end of licence renewal as currently practised in the country, to enable rural dwellers to actively participate in deciding issues that concern them.