The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has extended the deadline for the payment of outstanding licence fees by broadcast stations by three months.

This was announced on Friday in Abuja by the Director-General of NBC, Modibbo Kawu, who stated that the new deadline is now June 30, 2017.

The NBC boss lauded the leadership of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, Mr John Momoh, for spearheading an initiative to synergise broadcast organisations and officials of the NBC, to work out modalities leading to a final solution on the matter.

The extension follows an initial announcement by the Commission to shut down broadcast stations owing the Federal Government over five billion Naira by March 31, 2017, if they are unable to pay the full amount by the set date.

Mr Kawu said more than 54 broadcast licences have been revoked since 2015, adding that the number of revocations will rise as new applicants for broadcast licences replace indebted broadcasters.

“There are those who used political connections with the top-most political leadership in Nigeria in the past to get illegal and undue favours that ran contrary to the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code,” he said earlier in an interview.

The NBC Director-General noted that “it’s a different period in our country”, saying “nobody will go up to Aso Villa and get some black market deal anymore”.

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