NBC Bans Five Nigerian Hit Songs

The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has released a list of five songs that it has banned from playing in local radio and tv stations.

These include two songs by Olamide’s songs (“Wo” and “Wavy Level”), two of  Davido (“Fall” and “If Remix”), and one of 9ice (Living things). Olamide’s hit single “Wo” was banned just a few days after the video was released. This was after the Federal Ministry of Health had tweeted that the video, which it claims that the parts of the music video was in violation of the Tobacco Control Act 2015.

The public is informed of the dangerous public health content & violation of ?? Tobacco Ctrl Act 2015 in “Wo” by @olamide_YBNL #ClearTheAir pic.twitter.com/oVlUI976yJ

— Health Ministry NGR (@Fmohnigeria) August 18, 2017

The video promoting a dangerous habit encourages second-hand smoking. The risks include cancers, respiratory & cardiovascular diseases

— Health Ministry NGR (@Fmohnigeria) August 18, 2017

This is not the first time that an Olamide’s song will be banned by the NBC. In 2016, just a few months after the ban of one of his songs “Shakiti Bobo”, NBC also banned, “Don’t Stop” which is a track off Olamide’s fifthth studio album, Eyan Mayweather, for its vulgar lyrics. Defending the decision at the time, the NBC said the song was banned from being aired for its ‘obscenity, indecency, vulgar languages, and lewd and profane expressions like ‘wa gba ponron’, ‘I just want to hit you now’, ‘je kin wo be”, and others.

Falz the Badt Guy had, in June, criticised musicians who glamourise fraud with their lyrics. Fans took this criticism to be a direct hit at 9ice for his lyrics in “Living Things”.