Nigeria’s broadcasting authority has banned a politically charged song by rapper Eedris Abdulkareem, drawing sharp criticism from civil society.
The track, titled Tell Your Papa, delivers a blistering critique of President Bola Tinubu’s administration amid a worsening cost-of-living crisis and persistent insecurity.
Addressed to Tinubu’s son, the song urges him to “tell your papa” that people are suffering and dying under his economic policies.
Abdulkareem shared a letter from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Instagram, declaring the song “inappropriate for broadcast” due to its “objectionable nature.”
The letter, dated Wednesday, was circulated to radio and television stations nationwide, effectively barring the song from Nigeria’s airwaves.
NBC officials have not responded to requests for comment on the ban or its justification.
“Truth and constructive criticism are treated like crimes in Nigeria,” Abdulkareem wrote in response to the move on social media.
Despite Nigeria’s booming Afrobeats industry and prolific film sector, artists face growing restrictions on freedom of expression, activists warn.
In protest, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has vowed legal action against the government over what it calls censorship.
President Tinubu, who took office in May 2023, has launched sweeping reforms to stabilize Nigeria’s economy, including ending fuel subsidies and loosening currency controls.
While economists argue the reforms are essential, Nigerians have endured soaring inflation, a collapsing naira, and skyrocketing food and transport prices.
The ban has sparked online defiance, with Abdulkareem urging fans to stream the song digitally.
“We go stream,” he posted, signaling a shift in resistance from radio waves to cyberspace.