Nigeria bans song critical of president's economic record - Music - Arts & Culture
Nigeria's broadcasting authorities have banned a song critical of the president from airing on radio and television, the rapper behind the tune said.
"Tell Your Papa" by Eedris Abdulkareem sharply criticises the administration of President Bola Tinubu, whose first two years in office have seen the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation as he embarks on deep economic reforms.
The lyrics are addressed to Tinubu's son, calling on him to let his father know "people are dying" from economic hardship as well as continued insecurity from armed groups.
Abdulkareem on Thursday posted a letter from the National Broadcasting Commission to his Instagram account, in which the rap -- with lyrics in Yoruba, English and Pidgin -- is described as "inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature".
The letter, sent to TV and radio stations across the country asking them not to play the song, was dated Wednesday.
The NBC did not respond to a request for comment.
"It's obvious that in Nigeria, truth and constructive criticism is always deemed as a big crime by the government," Abdulkareem said on social media.
Despite a thriving Afrobeats music scene and a huge film industry known as Nollywood, artists in Africa's most populous country face limits on free expression from government regulators, activists say.
In response to the ban, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, a legal nonprofit, has threatened to sue the government.
Tinubu came to office in May 2023, embarking on what the government and economists say are much-needed reforms to steady the country's finances -- including scrapping a costly fuel subsidy and loosening the exchange rate of the naira.
While supporters say the reforms are key for reviving long-term investment in the country, ordinary Nigerians have suffered through rampant inflation as the value of the naira plummeted and the cost of goods soared.
In response to the letter, Abdulkareem made another post telling those interested in listening to it to take to the internet.
"We go stream," he wrote.
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