Nigerians are expected to pay for TV licences — here’s what the law says

The idea of paying a monthly or annual fee for owning a television set sounds novel to many young Nigerians because… what does that even mean?

A TV licence is the fee you pay monthly or yearly to receive broadcast services or own a TV set. So, if you have a TV set in your home, it’s a must that you pay your license fee as and when due.

In the United Kingdom, Ireland and even South Africa, citizens pay this fee to access broadcast services and authenticate their ownership of their television sets.

In the UK, a TV licence currently costs £159 per year for both homes and businesses, while in Ireland, it costs €160 a year.

Like the ‘saner climes,’ Nigeria also expects its citizens to pay this fee, but the charge for a TV licence here only affirms your ownership of your TV set.

Although there are legal provisions that compel every Nigerian who owns a TV set to pay this fee, governments at all levels seem to have forgotten these laws.

What the law says 

According to the 4th Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), every Nigerian who owns a TV set is required by law to pay for TV licenses.

This section of the Constitution established the collection of rates for radio and TV licenses as one of the functions of Local Government Councils.

But there’s no stipulated amount for a TV licence in the section as this is expected to be determined by state and local government authorities.

However, Nigerians resident in Lagos have approved rates recognised by the State Government for their TV licences.

According to the rates advertised in ThePunch on November 14, 2014, the rates range between ₦100 and ₦200,000 per year for residencies and companies respectively.

The advertorial stated that Lagosians who reside in a room apartment in rural communities will pay ₦100 for their TV licences annually, while those in semi-urban communities will pay ₦150 per year.

For those living in self-contained apartments in urban and highly urbanised communities, they are expected to pay ₦200 every year for TV licences.

If you live in a duplex in highly urbanised areas like Lekki Phase 1, Surulere, Yaba and Ikeja, your annual TV licence rate is ₦1,500 according to the advertorial. The same applies to those living in such apartments in urbanised communities like Awoyaya, Egbeda and FESTAC, while Lagosians living in the same structure in semi-urban communities are expected to pay ₦1,000 annually for their TV licences.

For companies, large companies in highly urbanised communities are required to pay ₦200,000 annually while the rates for small organisations in urban and semi-urban areas are ₦10,000 and ₦7,500 respectively.

These rates are strengthened by Section 12 of the Lagos State Local Government Levies Law as the section provides the penalty for defaulters.

The section states, “Any person who fails to pay a levy due to the LGA under this or any other Law commits an offence and shall, in addition to any penalty stipulated in any other relevant law or bye-law, be liable to pay a sum equal to 2 times the amount for which he is in default.

“Where an offence has been committed under this Law by an incorporated or unincorporated organisation, every director, manager or other employee of the organization who is responsible for the default also commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine of Fifty Thousand Naira (₦50,000.00) or six (6) months imprisonment or both.”

In conclusion, TV licences also exist in Nigeria. The law makes it compulsory for Nigerians to pay an annual levy on their TV sets but the law seems abandoned.