By Tochukwu Jimo Obi
It is truly unfortunate and deeply troubling that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and by extension the Federal Government of Nigeria, has consistently allowed a program like Big Brother Naija to air year after year on our television screens. This show, under the guise of entertainment and “reality TV,” has become a consistent promoter of nudity, vulgarity, moral carelessness, and cultural erosion. What message are we really sending to our youth?
For a country battling the scourge of youth restlessness, social media obsession, and moral degradation, one would have expected government institutions to tighten their grip on media content. Sadly, the reverse seems to be the case. While our traditional values are gradually being swept away by global influence and uncontrolled media content, Big Brother Naija continues to pour fuel into the fire of moral collapse.
The program glamorises behaviour that, by African and Nigerian cultural standards, would traditionally be frowned upon: open sexual content, excessive partying, foul language, and an overall lack of decency. Yet, millions of adults tune in daily, often with children or teenagers present, to consume this content as though it were wholesome or harmless. The lines between right and wrong are being blurred before impressionable eyes, and the result is visible in our society today: disrespect for elders, shallow aspirations, and an obsession with vanity.
What is most shocking is the government’s continued silence. A country with a Ministry of Information and agencies dedicated to cultural preservation ought to take a firm stand against programs that offer no educational, moral, or cultural value to society. Instead of encouraging innovation, productivity, and discipline in our youth, Big Brother Naija celebrates idle gossip, lustful behavior, and empty fame.
We cannot continue to fold our arms while our children and teenagers are indoctrinated into believing that vulgarity equals stardom. We cannot continue to shout about insecurity, social vices, and corruption when we are not bold enough to cut off the sources feeding these vices.
I call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the appropriate agencies, to immediately ban the broadcast of Big Brother Naija on all platforms, satellite, terrestrial, or online. Furthermore, no Nigerian station should be permitted to air or promote the show. We must take deliberate steps to protect the moral fabric of our society before it is completely torn apart.
The time to act is now. Our values, culture, and the future of our youth are too important to be sacrificed on the altar of entertainment.
