The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Federal Government expanded the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million in the changed National Broadcasting Code to dissuade individuals who are energetically abusing the arrangement to destabilize the nation.
Lai Mohammed gave the clarification on Friday when he highlighted on a TVC live Program, “This Morning” observed by the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
NAN reviews that the minister in 2019 reported the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for the expansion of the fine which was later specified in the revised Broadcasting Code.
“What motivated the amendment was that when the fine was N500,000 we saw the provision being violated at will because the amount was very easy to pay,” he said.
The minister clarified that some frantic individuals, who realize that their broadcast content contains hate speech, will demand that the broadcast stations should air it while they bear the expense of the fine.
“Chad has today slowed down the speed of its internet service to slow down the growth of hate speech. “Iceland has a provision in its penal code against hate speech and the punishment is up to five years in jail.
“The sanction in Norway is up to two years imprisonment while South Africa separated hate speech from the protection their citizens can get from the constitution,” he said.
