A collage of Salihu Dembos and Rotimi Pedro

President Bola Tinubu has reversed the leadership shake-up he approved at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) late last month, reinstating Salihu Dembos as Director-General after his controversial removal.

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga announced that Tinubu cancelled the appointment of Rotimi Pedro as the new DG and recalled Mr Dembos to complete his three-year tenure. The President also restored other top executives whose appointments were upended in the reshuffle.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation

Why Tinubu reversed the NTA appointments

According to insider sources, the reversal followed complaints by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who was reportedly blindsided by the earlier changes.

The minister, who was leading a federal delegation on a citizens’ engagement tour in Enugu and Ebonyi when the news broke, only learnt of the new appointments through media reports. The announcement created confusion within the organisation and embarrassment for the supervising ministry.

Sources revealed that a presidential aide with broadcasting experience had advised Tinubu to sack the NTA leadership, claiming the broadcaster was incompetent, losing its audience, and failing to project government activities effectively.

But after the tour, Mr Idris sought an audience with the President and requested permission to investigate the allegations. His findings reportedly showed that the claims against the NTA management were “spurious” and “fabricated by interest groups to capture the agency.”

Upon reviewing the minister’s report, Tinubu ordered the reinstatement of Mr Dembos and other executives.

President Bola Tinubu

The official statement

Announcing the reversal, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga stated:

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the recall of Mr Salihu Abdullahi Dembos, the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), who briefly vacated the post following some management changes in the agency. He will now return to complete his three-year tenure.”

The President also reinstated Ayo Adewuyi, Executive Director of News, who had been replaced in the earlier reshuffle.

What this means for the NTA

The decision underscores the political weight of the NTA, a broadcaster that, despite dwindling viewership and stiff competition from private media, remains an influential platform for government communication.

What to know about NTA

• Founded: 1977
• Mandate: Serve as Nigeria’s national broadcaster, promoting unity and national identity
• Reach: Stations across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory
• Current challenges: Declining audience share, digital disruption, criticism as a government mouthpiece
• Role: Still the official broadcaster of presidential and state events, funded and supervised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation

Conclusion

President Tinubu’s decision to reverse the controversial appointments at the NTA reflects not just a correction of process but also a recognition of the broadcaster’s symbolic and political significance. While the reinstated leadership has regained stability, the bigger challenge remains: how to modernise the NTA and restore its credibility in Nigeria’s fast-changing media landscape.