The Nigeria National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has banned Davido’s ‘If’ and ‘Fall’ songs, saying his music videos promote ‘ostentatious lifestyle, violence, drug trafficking and indecent exposure’.
The two songs are among the five which have been tagged by the NBC as “Not to be Broadcasted.” The other songs are Olamide ‘s ‘Wo’ and ‘Wavy Level’ and 9ice ‘s ‘Living Things.’
The NBC released the list, saying it has banned the songs from being aired on all local radio and TV stations, though, no reason has been given yet.
However, the Federal Ministry of Health had in a tweet on Friday said that the video to Olamide’s ‘Wo’ is in violation of the Tobacco Control Act 2015.
Tweeting the information via its official Twitter page, the Nigerian Ministry of Health claimed that the video which features ghetto scenes, in which youths are seen smoking, encourages second-hand smoking.
Rapper Falz had also in June criticized musicians who glamorize fraud with their lyrics, a criticism fans took to be directed at 9ice for his lyrics in ‘Living things.’ As for other songs, the reasons for their ban range from violence to obscenity in the music videos.
Ironically, the banned songs are receiving regular airplay in Uganda; radio, TV, clubs and bars, and Davido’s ‘If’ is one of the biggest hits in Uganda at the moment.
Last year, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) also banned two shows on ABS TV including ‘Kalondozi’ over obsenity.
It also banned a Danish film over scenes of homosexuality. However, when it comes to music, UCC has been criticised for sleeping on the job as songs with obscene videos, vulgar lyrics, videos depicting violence, the promotion of an ostentatious lifestyle and indecent exposure among others, enjoy regular airplay on TV and Radio, which even minors have access to.
Previously, the only banned songs in Uganda are; ‘Amasanda’ by Koloba and ‘Emboko’ by the late Master Blaster.
In contrast, Nigeria has banned over 50 songs, some of which continued to enjoy regular airplay in Uganda. In 2015 alone, NBC banned songs from artistes like Olamide, Davido, Reminisce, Wizkid, Iyanya, Nicki Minaj, Lil Kesh and Phyno.
Previously, it had also banned songs including Shoki by Lil Kesh, Zule Zoo’s Kerewa, Konga’s Baby Konga among others.
