The Nigerian authorities have banned broadcasters from playing the song Tell Your Papa, which criticises the country’s leader.
Artist Eedris Abdulkareem’s lyrics slam President Bola Tinubu and urge his influential son, Seyi, to let his father know “people are dying” through hardship and insecurity and there is “hunger” in the country.
In a letter to TV and radio stations, the National Broadcast Commission (NBC), which issues licenses and regulates the industry, ordered the track not to be played, saying it violates the country’s broadcast code.
The NBC said it considered Tell Your Papa’s content to be “inappropriate” and “objectionable” adding that it falls short of public decency standards.
Released earlier in the week, the song has gained a lot of attention on social media in Nigeria and has sparked debate regarding the economic and security situation in the country.
On becoming president in May 2023, Tinubu introduced a number of economic reforms which increased the cost of living.
He dropped the fuel subsidy, which had long kept petrol prices low, saying that the government could no longer afford it. Fuel prices then jumped sharply which had a knock-on effect on the rest of the economy.
Annual inflation was above 30% for most of last year and the price of some basic food items increased by even more.
This has led some Nigerians to cut back on the number of meals they eat a day and the amount of food they consume.
Credit: bbc