The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has requested that children’s programmes be given more time by broadcasting stations of up to 10% of their daily airtime in order to instill morals in young viewers.
At a stakeholders conference in Abuja, the demand was made by the director-general of NBC, Balarabe Ilelah.
He raised concern over how local broadcasters, producers, and sponsors had been neglecting to pay enough attention to children’s programming.
“Instead of developing local contents, some broadcasters still rely on foreign children contents, particularly cartoons which often are laced with themes of violence and immorality.
“NBC is deeply concerned about how some provisions under Chapter Four of the NBC code are being ignored or deliberately violated by broadcasts outfits.
“Let me refer you to Section 4.2.2 (k) which requires broadcasters to devote at least 10 per cent of their total airtime to children programmes.
“This provision is grossly violated as the commission had clearly established this through programme audit it regularly undertakes,” he said.
He claimed that the commission had taken note of politicians using kids in their political advertisements and how broadcasters would play such ads in defiance of section 7.7.1(d) of our code.
In order to develop comprehensive policy direction, he asked the participants to critically evaluate the performance of broadcasters in the area of children’s programming.
He claimed that doing so would support the promotion of safe children’s content and safeguard and ensure their future.
According to Ms. Vanessa Phala, Country Director of the International Labor Organization’s office in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the appropriate authorities must take immediate action to safeguard children’s rights and bring back their childhood.
Dr. Kolawole Agatha, the National Programme Coordinator for the Africa Project, spoke on behalf of Phala and lamented the large number of kids who were caught up in slavery, forced labor, and trafficking.
She claims that some people are used for prostitution, pornography, illegal operations, and other risky endeavors in addition to being forced to take part in military conflict.
Additionally addressing, Dr. Garba Abari, Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, stated that the main goal of the stakeholders’ meeting was to mobilize support for the fight to end child labor in the nation.
Child labor, according to Abari, is an anomaly that should not be accepted anyplace in the globe.
He explained that the illicit practice “strips children of their dignity, denies them the right to education and exposes them to harmful and hazardous conditions.
“As a society, one of the things we owe our children is protection from abuse.
The director emphasized the agency’s commitment towards making the country a nation of decent people where citizens’ rights would be respected.
Ref: NAN
