The Yoruba Broadcasters Association has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to enact a law compelling all broadcast stations operating in the state to carry regular Yoruba-language programming.

The association also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant at least one major national interview in the Yoruba language.

According to a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Thursday, the National President of the association, Adefunso Ademigbuji, made the appeal on Wednesday at a press conference in Lagos, where he decried what he described as the gradual disappearance of Yoruba programming from many newer radio and television stations in the state.

Ademigbuji, who doubles as Chairman of the association’s Implementation Committee and a radio presenter with Melody 107.7 FM, said the Yoruba Broadcasters Association was formed in 2011 and registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission to promote and preserve the Yoruba language and culture through broadcasting.

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

Ademigbuji said Lagos remained a Yoruba-speaking environment whose importance to the language could not be overstated.

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

He noted that pioneer stations such as Raypower FM and African Independent Television had sustained their Yoruba content over the years, but said the same could not be said of many newer stations in the state.

“However, the reality today is that many newer radio and television stations operating in Lagos do not have a single regular Yoruba programme,” he said.

The association’s national president warned that the Yoruba language faced a slow but steady decline if deliberate steps were not taken to protect it.

“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,” he said.

Ademigbuji argued that broadcasting could not be run purely as a commercial enterprise without regard for cultural responsibility.

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

He added that Yoruba content did not have to be old-fashioned to attract audiences.

“Yoruba broadcasting does not have to be old-fashioned. It can be modern, creative, digital and commercially attractive,” he said.

On the planned interview with the President, Ademigbuji said the appeal was not intended to be exclusionary but was rooted in inclusion.

“We therefore appeal to Mr President to grant at least one major national interview in the Yoruba language,” he said, adding, “This appeal is not about ethnic exclusion. It is about inclusion.”

He also called on the Lagos State Government to develop a policy framework for the promotion of Yoruba language across broadcasting, education, culture and public communication.

“Lagos can be a global city and still remain proudly connected to its Yoruba heritage,” he said.

Ademigbuji said the association, working with other cultural and pressure groups under the platform All Yoruba Presenters United For Action, would formally submit a petition to the Assembly seeking the enactment of the law.

According to him, the petition asks the Assembly to make Yoruba-language programming compulsory for broadcast stations in Lagos, set minimum standards for the content and duration of such programming, and establish a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance.

He said many new stations in Lagos posed a risk to the language’s survival. “This development poses a serious threat to the survival and continued relevance of the language, particularly among younger generations,” he said.

Ademigbuji said the association was not campaigning against the English language or any other Nigerian language, but was seeking balance and cultural responsibility in broadcasting.

“We are not calling for the cancellation of English-language programming. We are not calling for the exclusion of other Nigerian languages. We are calling for balance, inclusion and cultural responsibility,” he said.

He said the association believed a law protecting Yoruba broadcasting would also benefit the creative economy.

“This is therefore not only a cultural issue. It is also an issue of employment, creative enterprise, economic opportunity and the preservation of Lagos’ identity,” he said.

To demonstrate its commitment to the cause, the association conducted the question-and-answer session that followed the address entirely in Yoruba, with interpretation provided for journalists who were not fluent in the language.

“We are not merely talking about Yoruba. We are living it,” Ademigbuji said.