A public interest lawyer and activist, Maduabuchi Idam, has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), urging the regulatory body to immediately ban or strictly regulate the ongoing Big Brother Naija reality television show for allegedly promoting obscene and indecent content.

In the petition addressed to the NBC Director General, Idam expressed concern over what he described as “brazen exhibition of real-time obscene and pornographic actions” in the show, now in its second week of the 10th season.

The lawyer, in the petition titled “Urgent need to ban or regulate the content of the television programme described as ‘Big Brother Naija’ for obscene, indecent, and profane content, pursuant to the NBC Act 1999,” gave the commission 30 days to act or face legal action.

 “The program is characterised by brazen obscenity and profane content, freely broadcast not just on national television but also across social media platforms by the host company,” Idam said.

He criticised the NBC for its perceived silence and inaction despite what he termed the programme’s growing influence on the moral decay in society.

Idam further cited instances where the commission had previously banned or sanctioned music videos, including those by Olamide, Phyno, and Wizkid, for similar reasons, adding that the same standards must be applied to Big Brother Naija.

 “It is perplexing that the NBC has remained mute in the face of this programme, despite its explicit content,” he noted. “I write not as one unaware of its 18+ rating, but as a citizen concerned about its accessibility to minors and uninterested viewers.”

The lawyer demanded that NBC restrict the show to only highly regulated platforms inaccessible to underage viewers and prohibit the sharing of explicit clips on social media.

 “The show offers no educative, artistic, scientific, or literary value and therefore contributes nothing meaningful to society, especially in a country already battling moral and security crises,” the petition added.

Idam warned that failure to address the issues raised within 30 days would compel him to seek redress in court.

The NBC has yet to publicly respond to the petition.