The decision to ban “This is Nigeria”, symbolises the misdirection and cases of poor judgement by Nigerian authorities over the seasons
The recent “ban” by the National Broadcast Commission (NBC) on Falz’ table-shaking music, “This is Nigeria”, proves, unfortunately, that the commission did not learn from any of her many mistakes of the past.
It shows, rather shamefully, that the body has a poor understanding of art, but depends largely on (uninformed) pubic calls and caprices to perform her duty of regulating the content on the Nigerian broadcast media space.
NBC: Institutional Problem
The decision to ban “This is Nigeria”, symbolises the misdirection and cases of poor judgement by Nigerian authorities over the seasons, which is why a governor of a Nigerian state would spend money that could be channeled to paying salaries and empowering youths to erect statues; including that of a foreign President who was impeached on the ground of corrupt practices.
Like several other government agencies under dysfunctional leadership, the NBC has severally exercised her mandate wrongly. Or how do you explain that “This is Nigeria” is deemed unfit for broadcast but “Codeine diet” isn’t?
NBC Past Mistakes
The moderating agency has taken actions in the past that suggests that her decision makers have their heads in the clouds. The agency banned “Science Students”, pointing to the profligate mention of substances as justification for her decision; but the mention of substances in the song was done in the tone of warning and admonition, as against promotion; as claimed by NBC.
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Similarly, Tiwa Savage announced on Instagram that her song, “Tiwa Vibes”, was banned due to the mention of “shayo” – which means alcohol in English – in the lyrics of the song. Except the report had been steered, the reason given for the ban is just as ludicrous as it is hypocritical.
When did it become wrong to mention alcohol in a place where the lawmakers publicly entertain themselves with expensive booze even in the premises of the legislative chamber? If the audio of “Tiwa Vibes” is offensive to the NBC, the video should appeal to their good side, at least the “shayo galore” part is not as loud.
Essence of “This Is Nigeria”
The recent ban of another batch of popular music has raised questions of the ambition of NBC; not because of the number of songs that were deemed unfit for broadcast by the agency but because a song of good purpose was dismissed as one that contains “vulgar lines”; and guess what the vulgar line is? - “this is Nigeria …..… everybody na criminal.”
The line, which formed the hook of the song, was introduced on the song repeatedly, after each of the thoughtful verses that echoes the failures of the Nigerian society; leading listeners to realise the messy state of the nation, which is the first step before one can think of the urgent remedies needed. What Falz did with “This is Nigeria” is a practice that is needed but the Nigerian music culture is deficient of; which is why the action taken by NBC is baffling.
Falz, with “This is Nigeria”, broke down the problems of Nigeria to core: the poor conditions of our medical facilities, the failing power supply, police brutality, tribal killings, looted public funds, and the biggest problem of all - our nolition to tackle these problems. That “we operate a predatory, neocolonial capitalist system, which is founded on fraud and exploitation, and therefore, you are bound to have corruption,” is at the centre of the truths told by Falz on the song.
Questions raised by the ban
So what is wrong with the message in Falz’ “This Is Nigeria”? what is vulgar about those lines? Are those the truths that the NBC wants to stay untold? Is there a secret agenda to repress any voice that speaks the unsaid about Nigeria? There’s certainly something about “This is Nigeria” that offends NBC and it isn’t vulgar lines. There is something about the music that the body does not approve of, but cannot say publicly, in clear terms.
Read Also: Falz threatens to seek legal redress if NBC fails to lift ban on song
Popular filmmaker Kemi Adetiba reacted to the story of the ban by writing, “they can’t stop the movement form being televised,” on social media. The movement as it seems is the movement of truth, that Nigeria would remain a “shit hole nation” unless actions are taken to make corrections, instead of the bickering over the fleshiest word to cover the dying bones of the Nation.
Even the most apolitical Nigerian knows that it is wrong of the “judges” to have deemed “This is Nigeria” unfit for broadcast, especially not in the same country where the theme resonates, as it echoes the plagues of the nation, in a way that it causes you as a Nigerian to reflect on many of the happenings around and see the wrong in them.
Falz took the approach of a satirist to create the kind of music that the NBC should have held up as a model for other artists whose music have been rightfully pulled down in the past.
Conclusion
The commission should have in fact pushed for more airplays for “This is Nigeria”, because of the positive effect it promises to have on a mass of Nigerian youths. The song, for me, deserves a remix on which Falz and other artists who are interested in lending their voices to a nationalist cause, would come together to address more of the troubling issues of the Nigerian society; including baseless bans like that of the NBC on a powerful song like “This is Nigeria.”
Written by Ogbeni Lagbaja
Ogbeni Lagbaja is a character created by a man who prefers his works to be read than for his name to be known. He can be reached via writelagbaja@gmail.com