AIT/Ray Power go off air following NBC withdrawal of its licence

Daar Communications has shut down its two media stations, AIT and Ray Power following the withdrawal of its operating license on Thursday by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that it suspended the operating licence of the Daar Communications PLC, operator of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM, for promoting “Hate Speech, divisive and inciting comments,” which violated the Broadcasting Code that is backed by provisions of Section 10 of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The management of the news outfit is still considering the best options – possibly a legal action – to fight what they see as injustice to the Organisation which has been vocal against government’s incapabilities, BusinessDay understands.

AIT shutdown on Thursday following obvious accusations of support for the opposition is being condemned both locally and internationally as an attempt by the government to gag the Nigerian media.

BusinessDay understands that the latest development may have led to the British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) withdrawal of the state -owned media, the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) from its sky channel 781.

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British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) was formed by the merger of Sky Televisionand British Satellite Broadcastingon 2 November 1990.

@BTBreakingTimes had twitted on Friday morning “FG Crackdown On AIT: British BskyB withdraws NTA from its sky channel 781”

BusinessDay, however cannot independently connect the NTA withdrawal to the current NBC crackdown on DAAR Communications which coincidentally happened on a day Nigeria government announced a crackdown on a major independent broadcaster in Nigeria.

..details soon

Onyinye Nwachukwu, Abuja

Onyinye Nwachukwu is the Abuja Bureau Chief of BusinessDay, overseeing coverage across Abuja and Northern Nigeria. With more than two decades of experience in economic and financial journalism, she reports on business, policy, and market trends, linking local developments to the global economy. A fellow of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and recipient of the P. Vishwanathan Memorial Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, she is known for her insightful storytelling and interviews with senior policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders. Well traveled and globally minded, Onyinye brings depth and international perspective to her reporting.