The Federal Government of Nigeria has kicked against exclusivity rights in broadcasting sporting events in the country.

The information was made public by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Thursday, January 9, in Abuja.

Mohammed’s office has directed the National Broadcasting Commission to immediately implement measures aimed at sanitising and re-positioning the broadcast industry.

The minister specifically directed NBC to implement a new regulation mandating broadcasters and exclusive licensees to share such exclusive rights with other broadcasters.

“This regulation prevents the misuse of monopoly or market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices by a foreign or local broadcaster to suppress other local broadcasters in the television and radio markets.

“This is so, having removed exclusivity from all content in Nigeria and mandated the sharing of all content upon the payment of commercially viable fees,” he said.

Mohammed, at a meeting with online publishers in 2019, had said that a situation where a few people corner a chunk of the industry to the detriment of others, especially the teeming and talented youths, was totally unacceptable and untenable.

“Monopoly stunts growth kills talents and discourages creativity. In the case of Nigeria, it’s the monopoly of content that breeds anti-competition practices.

“You cannot use your financial or whatever power to corner and hold on tight to a chunk of the market, preventing others from having access. Such monopolies are crumbling everywhere in the world and Nigeria cannot be left out,” he stated clearly.

Mohammed said the new regulation on exclusivity in sports broadcasting was contained in the report of the committee which he set up to work out the modalities for implementing the recommendations approved by President Muhammadu Buhari to re-position the broadcast industry.