Ibadan, Nigeria - Twenty Nigerian communities, which have applied for licences to own and operate radio stations, are in Ibadan, south west Nigeria, to discuss modalities for writing their constitutions and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), two documents that will facilitate approval. “In writing a constitution and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), it is believed if they don’t get it right this might stall all their preparations towards getting a licence,” said Qasim Akinreti, a broadcasting expert at the meeting. In West Africa, Nigeria is the only country yet to start a community radio station.

Last year the Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, at an International broadcasting conference in Abuja, directed the regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), to start issuing licences to communities desiring to operate radio stations.

More than six months after that statement, community radio stations are yet to take off in Africa’s most populous country.

The meeting is facilitated by the National Community Radio Coalition with support from Open Society for Initiative in West Africa (OSIWA) and PANOS Institute.

Akinreti said: 'Under the law, they (communities) are supposed to file their papers within three months and under six months they should complete all process, but if there is a problem with the filing, they will have to wait for another year.

'Some of these communities have got their sites and equipment but have not received licences.

'But to get a licence they must have a constitution and MOU that will have to be forwarded to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) before they apply to the NBC. Almost all the 20 communities are ready to take off, what they are just looking for is the approval.”

Akinreti said there were indications that the licences would be granted to the communities before the end of the year, because the government had given NBC the go-ahead to do so.

Pana 06/07/2011