A song critical of Nigeria's president is barred from airwaves
The country's media regulator described the content of 'Tell Your Papa' in the memo to radio stations as 'inappropriate for broadcast.'
The song is a response by musician and outspoken government critic Eedris Abdulkareem to recent remarks by Seyi Tinubu, the president's son, who called his father the greatest leader in the country's history.
In the afrobeats track, Abdulkareem asks the younger Tinubu to tell his father that his policies have brought widespread hardship to Africa's most populous country, while highlighting what he calls a string of unfulfilled 'empty promises.'
Since taking office in 2023, Tinubu's policies such as the removal of subsidies on gasoline have hit hard as Nigeria grapples with fluctuating prices.
Last year, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at protests demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.
In Wednesday's memo, the National Broadcasting Commission said the song violated section 3.1.8 of the country's broadcasting code that prohibits content that is in 'breach of public decency.' Still, the song has gone viral on social media.
Addressing the ban in an Instagram post, Abdulkareem said constructive criticism is always seen as a crime by the government.
'Any wonder why Nigeria hasn't made impactful strides all these years?' he said.
In 2004, another of Abdulkareem's songs, 'Jaga Jaga,' was banned. It was a critique of former President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration, which he described as corrupt.
The 'bizarre ban' of the song is a violation of freedom of expression, Amnesty International said in a statement, describing the action as an abuse of power.
'This clamp down on artistic freedom is an appalling reminder that artists are at the risk of being silenced,' the rights group said.
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When Terekh — an architect — was hired in the summer of 2023, she was given a goal of producing 30 drones per month. Now the company makes roughly 100 per day, at a cost of $55,000 apiece. The FP-1 looks more like a hastily made science project than something that would roll off the production lines of the world's biggest defense contractors. 'We removed unneeded, flashy glittery stuff,' she said. But the FP-1 has been extremely effective on the battlefield. With a payload of explosives weighing 60 kilograms (132 pounds), it is responsible for 60% of strikes deep inside Russian territory, including hits on oil refineries and weapons depots, according to Terekh. These strikes have helped to slow Russia's advance along the 1,000 kilometer-long (620 mile-long) front line in eastern Ukraine, where army units have reported a sharp decline in artillery fire. 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'Ukraine is in this very unique moment now where it is becoming, de facto, the Silicon Valley of defense,' said Ukrainian defense entrepreneur Yaroslav Azhnyuk. 'The biggest strategic asset that we have is that we have been at war with Russia for 11 years.' A case in point: Fire Point had initially sourced navigational equipment for its drones from a major Western firm, but before long Russia was able to disrupt their effectiveness using electronic warfare; so Fire Point developed its own software to outwit the enemy. Because defense companies are high-value targets for Russia, many operate underground or hidden within civilian centers to evade detection. Although they are guarded by air defenses, the strategy has the disadvantage of putting civilians at risk. Many Ukrainians have died in imprecise Russian attacks that were likely targeting weapons facilities. Entrepreneurs said the alternative is to operate openly and face attacks that would set back the war effort. 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