Broadcasters demand law mandating Yoruba programming on Lagos stations

The Yoruba Broadcasters Association is calling on the Lagos State House of Assembly to enact legislation requiring all broadcast stations in the state to air regular programming in the Yoruba language. The association also made a public appeal for President Bola Tinubu to grant at least one significant national interview in Yoruba.

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We are deeply concerned about the gradual decline of Yoruba-language programming on broadcast stations operating in Lagos.

Adefunso Ademigbuji, the National President of the association, voiced his concerns at a press conference in Lagos, highlighting what he described as the "gradual disappearance" of Yoruba content from many newer radio and television stations. He noted that Lagos, a predominantly Yoruba-speaking environment and a vital center for Yoruba history and culture, should reflect this in its media landscape.

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Lagos State is predominantly a Yoruba-speaking environment. It is a major centre of Yoruba history, culture, commerce, creativity and intellectual development.

While acknowledging that older stations like Raypower FM and African Independent Television have maintained Yoruba content, Ademigbuji pointed out that numerous newer stations lack any regular Yoruba programming. He warned that the Yoruba language faces a slow decline if deliberate steps are not taken to protect it, emphasizing that broadcasting shapes society and influences public thought and behavior.

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A language does not disappear in one day. It disappears gradually, when it is no longer spoken at home, taught in schools, heard on radio, seen on television or considered relevant in public life.

Ademigbuji stressed that Yoruba broadcasting can be modern, creative, and commercially appealing, countering any notion that it must be old-fashioned. The association, formed in 2011 to promote Yoruba language and culture through broadcasting, believes that stations have a cultural responsibility beyond merely selling airtime.

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Broadcast stations do not merely sell airtime. They shape society. They influence the way people think, speak, behave and understand their environment.