The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) expresses deep concern over the recent regulatory confusion triggered by the National Communications Authority's (NCA) directive for 62 radio stations in Ghana to shut down operations.
The MFWA finds President John Dramani Mahama's swift intervention to halt the closure of the stations both refreshing and commendable. We also welcome the Ministry of Communications' announcement of a 30-day grace period for the affected stations to regularise their licensing status, following the President's directive.
In a public notice issued on June 12, the NCA ordered the 62 stations to suspend broadcasting, citing a directive from the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Hon. Sam Nartey George. The directive mandated the NCA to enforce sanctions against stations deemed non-compliant.
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According to the NCA, the affected stations violated the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), and its accompanying regulations (L.I. 1991), falling into four categories: operating with expired authorisations despite directives to cease operations; continuing to broadcast after notices of revocation for failure to set up within the permitted timeframe; failure to pay full authorisation fees after receiving provisional authorisation; and failure to meet conditions for final authorisation despite partial payment of fees.
However, President John Mahama appears to have seen the shutdown as a rushed attack on media freedom. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the President emphasised that radio stations serve as important avenues for free expression, and shutting them down is tantamount to depriving citizens of an important avenue to partake in national discourse.
"President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Ministry for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation to liaise with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to immediately restore the broadcasts of the 64 radio stations affected by the regulator's action. The President believes that regulatory compliance must be balanced with the need to uphold and promote media freedom, and that requiring radio stations to shut down while awaiting regularisation of their authorisation could limit the space for expressing such freedoms," the statement read.
This is not the first instance of such enforcement action. In 2019, the MFWA raised public concerns over the closure of several stations, many of which were seen as sympathetic to opposition voices. Again, in February 2025, the Ministry shut down seven stations under circumstances that raised questions about transparency and equal treatment.
The MFWA recognises that the NCA and the Ministry have the legal authority to enforce licensing requirements. However, such enforcement must be transparent, consultative, and free from actual or perceived political bias. The absence of publicly available audit reports, inadequate advance notifications, and lack of stakeholder engagement continue to fuel concerns about selective enforcement.
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We welcome President Mahama's directive for the NCA and the Ministry to agree on a reasonable timeframe for regularisation. However, we are not convinced that the hastily announced 30-day grace period by the Minister meets the reasonable timeframe standard. Like the original shutdown order, the moratorium appears reactionary and insufficiently considered. A more constructive approach should involve dialogue with affected stations and the development of a mutually agreed compliance plan.
The MFWA will continue to monitor the situation keenly for subsequent developments. Meanwhile, we call on all affected radio stations to take steps to fulfil their outstanding licensing and operational obligations.
