Niger Gov Bago Orders Revocation of Badegi Radio Licence

 Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago directed the revocation of the operational licence for Badegi Community Radio, citing breaches of broadcasting regulations, as announced during a state security council meeting. 

The station, launched in 2022 to serve the Badegi community with a 5-kilometer radius, faced allegations of airing content inciting unrest, including unverified reports of communal clashes that led to a protest injuring 10 people on July 28. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) supported the decision, noting 15 violations since 2023, though the station’s management denied the charges, claiming political targeting by Bago’s administration.

Local journalists condemned the move as an assault on free speech, with the Niger State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) calling for an independent review, given the station’s 20,000 listeners. Bago justified the action as necessary for public safety, promising a new licence process, but critics see it as a bid to silence dissent ahead of 2027 elections. The narrative of regulatory enforcement versus press freedom is contentious, with the outcome likely to shape media governance in Nigeria’s north-central region.