Over the past years, some songs by prominent Nigerian singers have been banned and prohibited by the NBC (National Broadcasting Commission). NBC has reported these songs to feature language, artwork, and other unacceptable or inconsistent elements with the commission’s rules.
Furthermore, some of these songs have also been said to contain scenes that support criminal behaviour, the use of narcotics, and other vices that are dangerous to one’s health and well-being and are, therefore, forbidden from being broadcast.
Notably, check out these 6 Nigerian songs that NBC banned. We bet you were unaware that the following songs were deemed unfit for broadcast and are prohibited from playing on local radio or television stations.
See the list below;
Fall by Davido
The first song to note on the list of songs that NBC has banned is “Fall” by Afrobeats superstar Davido. Did you know that? Yes, Davido’s smash hit song “Fall” is one of the most popular Nigerian songs to be released and arguably the biggest song released by the Afropop star.
The song “Fall” has a straightforward music video in which Davido daydreams about going to a masquerade party and meeting a special woman. Remarkably, you would assume that the song’s catchy melody and the artist’s popularity account for the majority of views Falls music video amassed. However, we can’t be so certain about the explicit content that NBC marked as unfit for the Nigerian audience to pay attention to. Is it the lyrics, or is it the music video?
Wo by Olamide
2017 hit single “Wo” by Olamide is another song that NBC officially banned from the Nigerian audience to enjoy on their local airways. NBC banned the song at the time of its release due to an alleged infringement of its rules and regulations.
The popular Nigerian rapper, Olamide, then claimed that he never intended for the song to offend music fans after the National Broadcasting Commission prohibited one of his songs, Wo, among others, from being played on the radio. Nonetheless, the Federal Ministry of Health’s recent response to the music video for Olamide’s new song may have impacted the commission’s decision, even though it did not explain why the songs were banned.
This is Nigeria by Falz
With a letter from one of its zonal directors, Igomu Onoja, labelling a section of the song “vulgar” and describing the entire composition as “unfit for radio,” NBC announced the music’s ban in 2018.
Falz, an esteemed Nigerian rapper and singer, released a record titled “This Is Nigeria” that is entertaining and exciting to listen to. The year 2018 was when this iconic track was brought forth to the mainstream music scene, and Falz utilized the tune to discuss a variety of issues, including poor leadership, Fulani herder’s deaths, horrible roads, inadequate healthcare, and much more that could be wrong with the Nigerian society.
NBC stated in its letter as to the basis for the ban that “This Is Nigeria” is “laced with vulgar lyrics ‘This is Nigeria, look how we living now, everybody be criminal’”. Could the commission be triggered by Falz’s blunt use of words and visuals, or did Falz possibly go too far and miss out on the rules and regulations?
Iskaba by Wande Coal
“Iskaba” by Wande Coal is yet another song that caught the board of NBC as they banned the song from being played on local radio stations and TV stations at the time of release in 2016.
Wande Coal, a Nigerian celebrity singer and songwriter – former Mohits and Mavins Record label member – released the intriguing track titled Iskaba, featuring DJ Tunez, a Nigerian disc jockey, record producer, and recording artist. Despite the ban, this song, Iskaba, received a ton of exposure across the nation. Online, it gained a lot of streams, downloads, and views as he teamed up with DJ Tunez to continue to provide entertainment for his music lovers.
It may have skipped everyone, especially Wande Coal’s fans in Nigeria, that the hit single, Iskaba, has been prohibited for listening and entertainment as NBC called the phrase from “Iskaba” that goes, “Girl you dey make me kolo, shaking the ass like kolo,” “vulgar,” and added that it “contravenes Section 3.6.1 and Section 3.13.2.2c”.
Thunder Fire You by Ric Hassani
Soon after his 2021 single “Thunder Fire You” became popular, Ric Hassani declared that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) banned the song and that radio stations were penalized for playing it.
Notably, the song “Thunder Fire You” – from his body of work, “The Prince I Have Become” – is a lovely study of heartbreak supported by the widely used local slang phrase “Thunder Fire You” used by many Nigerians to indicate dissatisfaction or frustration at anything. So fans were not having the ban by NBC as anything pleasing.
Nigerians, especially on Twitter, even launched moral attacks against NBC for removing a song like “Thunder Fire You” from the radio while disregarding more controversial songs like “Cash App” and others.
Living Things by 9ice
Notably, after the Ministry of Health issued a public warning regarding Olamide’s popular song, WO, Living Things by 9ice was no longer allowed to be broadcast. Even though the song, at the time of release in 2016, had received a lot of playing on many broadcasting stations across the Nation when the ban was finally implemented, this leads us to believe that the MOH was the one who initiated the ban.
During an interview with HipTV, 9ice discussed his thoughts on the song’s ban. The veteran Nigerian singer amusing declared that he would continue to record and release songs that NBC would prohibit and ban.
9ice stated – “After the ban, there was another letter that the song was not banned. But I am thanking NBC for the ban, because after the ban the song go blow so NBC I am releasing more songs soon that you guys will have to ban.”
