Human rights lawyer, Maduabuchi Idam, has called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to urgently ban or restrict the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality show, citing concerns over the program’s “obscene, indecent, and profane” content.
In a petition titled “Urgent Need to Ban or Regulate the Content of the Television Programme Described as ‘Big Brother Naija’ for Obscene, Indecent, and Profane Content, Pursuant to the NBC Act 1999,” Idam warned that failure to act within 30 days would lead to legal action.
Idam stated that the current season of Big Brother Naija, now in its second week, has showcased real-time acts that amount to “obscene and pornographic actions,” questioning NBC’s silence on its regulatory responsibility.
“I write, not as one unaware of the program’s 18+ rating, but as a Nigerian citizen concerned about the impact of such content on public morality and decency,” he said.
He further accused the show’s host company of freely broadcasting explicit highlights on their verified social media handles, thereby making such content easily accessible to underage viewers and the general public.
Citing NBC’s past sanctions on music videos by artists like Olamide, Reminisce, Wizkid, and Phyno for similar reasons, Idam said it was “perplexing” that Big Brother Naija continues to air without regulation despite “obvious explicit content.”
“The program neither offers educative, artistic, scientific nor literary value,” he stressed, adding that its unrestricted broadcast poses a threat to Nigeria’s already fragile moral landscape.
He urged the NBC to restrict the show to “highly regulated platforms accessible only to adult viewers,” and to stop the host company from sharing explicit clips online.
“If NBC fails to comply within 30 days, I shall be constrained to seek necessary redress in a court of competent jurisdiction,” the petition concluded.
The latest season of Big Brother Naija, which is currently airing its 10th edition, has continued to stir mixed reactions among Nigerians regarding its cultural and moral relevance.