A FRESH WAVE of debate over artistic freedom, public decency, and the boundaries of broadcast ethics has gripped Nigeria’s media space following a decision by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ban Eedris Abdulkareem’s newly released protest song, “Tell Your Papa.”
The song, a scathing lyrical address to Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, quickly gained traction across social media after its release on Sunday. But just days later, the NBC issued a directive categorising the track as Not To Be Broadcast (NTBB), citing violations of Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code — a provision that prohibits materials deemed “offensive, indecent or unfit for public consumption.”
“Seyi, tell your papa country hard. Tell your papa people dey die,” raps Abdulkareem in the viral single.
The line has since become a rallying phrase on social platforms, widely shared in memes, hashtags, and video duets on TikTok and Instagram Reels. In less than 48 hours, the track has garnered over 1.2 million combined views on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Facebook.
The NBC, in a memo dated April 9 and signed by its Coordinating Director of Broadcast Monitoring, Susan Obi, warned broadcasters nationwide to refrain from airing the song.
The letter reads in part: “The National Broadcasting Commission has identified the song ‘Tell Your Papa’ by Eedris Abdulkareem… as content deemed inappropriate for broadcast due to its objectionable nature.”
The ban, according to the Commission, was issued to ensure “responsible broadcasting standards” are upheld.
Abdulkareem is no stranger to controversy or censorship. Nearly two decades ago, he sparked national debate with “Jaga Jaga”—a politically charged anthem that painted a grim portrait of corruption, poverty, and insecurity in Nigeria. Then-president Olusegun Obasanjo publicly condemned the track, and it was temporarily banned from airwaves.
Yet, over time, “Jaga Jaga” became not only a cultural staple but a historical record of public sentiment during the early 2000s. Today, it enjoys academic and pop-culture relevance, with scholars referencing it in studies on music and political consciousness in West Africa.
Scholarly studies have consistently highlighted the role of protest music in Nigeria as a mirror of societal tension. A research paper titled Protest Music as an Instrument for Communicating Social Discontent in Africa, published on ResearchGate, asserts that protest music across the continent — particularly in Nigeria — has historically served as a voice for the voiceless during periods of political instability and economic hardship.The song’s core criticism revolves around the economic and security challenges gripping Nigeria.
Similarly, a 2020 study titled Nigerian Pop Music as Protest Art: A Marxist Reading of Selected Songs of Asa, 9ice and Falz, available on Academia.edu, underscores that Nigerian musicians have increasingly used their platforms to challenge the status quo, especially when traditional institutions fail to reflect public frustration.
These findings align with a 2015 report, The Opportunism of Political Music Culture in Democratic Nigeria, which details how artists often resort to coded or overt protest as a survival tool under regimes that suppress dissent. The study, accessible via ResearchGate, observed that broadcast bans on politically charged music have grown more frequent in Nigeria’s post-military era.
The song’s core criticism revolves around the economic and security challenges gripping Nigeria.
Meanwhile, security remains fragile across Nigeria. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 3.2 million Nigerians remain internally displaced due to ongoing violence and insecurity, including insurgency, banditry, and communal clashes. The March 2025 IOM dashboard covering Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin puts the total number of affected individuals across the region at 6.1 million, with Nigeria accounting for the largest share of displaced persons.
“Seyi, try travel by road without your security make you feel the pains of fellow Nigerians,” Abdulkareem sings, referencing widespread criticism of political elites who live in isolation from everyday hardships.
ALSO READ: “Tell Your Papa”: Eedris Abdulkareem’s Lyrical Critique of Nigeria’s Leadership
The NBC’s decision has sparked broader conversations about censorship versus regulation. While the Commission insists it is acting within the ambit of the law, critics argue that such bans risk silencing dissent and sanitising the airwaves to the detriment of democratic expression.
This concern is not without precedent. In its 2024 “Freedom in the World” report, Freedom House rated Nigeria as “Partly Free” in terms of media freedom, noting “increasing state interventions in broadcast content and the shrinking space for critical music and satire.”
The Commission’s use of Section 3.1.8 is not without precedent. Over the years, the NBC has repeatedly barred songs and music videos from public airwaves for what it described as violations of decency and broadcast standards. In 2015, it banned 18 songs, including “Fans Mi” by Davido and “Shakiti Bobo” by Olamide, citing “vulgar lyrics and suggestive content,” according to Vanguard . A similar crackdown followed in 2017, when tracks such as Olamide’s “Wo” and Davido’s “Fall” were declared unfit for airplay over concerns about moral decadence. These instances underscore a consistent regulatory approach by the NBC, even as critics argue that such decisions often blur the lines between decency enforcement and censorship.
Yet, in the age of digital virality, such bans may no longer have the silencing effect once expected. Within hours of the NBC’s memo, “Tell Your Papa” topped Nigeria’s Apple Music protest playlist and trended across TikTok with over 20,000 user-generated videos using the track.
While Abdulkareem has not officially responded to the ban, public reaction has been swift. Social media users, many of them youth, have interpreted the move as an attempt to suppress truth under the guise of regulation. Comments like “This song speaks our reality. NBC cannot ban hunger” and “You can ban the radio, but not our ears” continue to flood the comment sections across platforms.
For many, “Tell Your Papa” captures the voice of a generation disillusioned by unfulfilled promises and a political class seen as out of touch.
