Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has ordered the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission to shut down the current episode of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality show.
The Minister hinged the need to halt the fifth edition of the show on fears it could lead to an escalation of cases of the coronavirus infection in the country.
The Minister sent the order through the acting Director-General of NBC, Armstrong Idachaba. The DG is said to have informed the management staff of the commission of the order on Wednesday, July 22.
According to Idachaba, the Minister directed the NBC to present worries over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as the reason for the shutdown and cited directives from the Presidential Task Force on the pandemic.
But MultiChoice Ltd, the producers of the reality show, said to NBC that it had obtained the approval of the Lagos State government, to organize the show. It also said that it had assured the participants as well as the crew that it would strictly obey all the safety protocols against COVID-19.
The minister reportedly went through the NBC due to the opinion in the country that he wants to send MultiChoice Ltd, the producers of the reality show, out of Nigeria.
The Ministry of Information and Culture, through the NBC, has been fighting to end MultiChoice’s monopoly in the live coverage of sporting events in Nigeria.
