BBNaija: Fame, Entertainment or a Threat to Our Children?
By Princely Onyenwe | Editorial Desk
Nigeria’s entertainment industry has undoubtedly become one of the country’s biggest cultural exports, creating jobs, generating revenue and giving millions of Nigerians something to watch, discuss and celebrate. Reality television, in particular, has developed a massive following among young people and adults. But there is a question Nigeria can no longer afford to ignore: where should entertainment end and the protection of children begin?
Growing concerns about the type of content children may encounter while watching Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) deserve serious public discussion. Adults have the right to choose what they watch, but should sexually suggestive scenes, intimate conduct and other mature content be readily accessible in family homes where children may also be watching? This is not an argument against entertainment, creativity or reality television. It is an argument for responsibility.
A mother who spoke to 9News Nigeria on condition of anonymity described what she said was a disturbing experience in her home. According to her account, she returned unexpectedly and found her 14-year-old daughter kissing her younger brother while both were watching BBNaija. The woman said the family normally watched the programme together with their children and that she had never imagined that behaviour displayed on television could influence the children in such a manner.
She explained that heavy rainfall had forced her to return home earlier than expected. She said she and her husband had left the children at home, believing they would be safe, only to return to what she described as deeply disturbing behaviour. Her account, however, remains an allegation and should be understood in that context.
Another woman who contacted 9News alleged that she had observed inappropriate behaviour involving her 12-year-old son and a 24-year-old domestic worker. She claimed that whenever adults left the house, those at home would reportedly switch to BBNaija and engage in inappropriate conduct. According to her account, the situation eventually became sufficiently concerning for her to disconnect the station from the household. This account, like the others, has not been independently verified by the 9News Nigeria.
There was also another account involving two minors who were allegedly living in the same household and secretly engaging in sexual behaviour while adults were asleep or away. The account claimed that the situation was eventually discovered after the girl allegedly began showing signs of pregnancy. Because such claims involve minors and potentially serious allegations, they should be treated with caution and should not be presented as established facts without independent verification.
These accounts are deeply disturbing, but they must also be considered responsibly. A television programme cannot automatically be blamed for the behaviour of children. Children are influenced by numerous factors, including their home environment, parenting, peers, social media, smartphones and the material they encounter online. Parenting, supervision and education remain central to a child’s development.
Yet television and entertainment content cannot simply be removed from the conversation. When children repeatedly encounter adult behaviour presented as entertainment, they may not possess the emotional maturity to distinguish between television performance, adult relationships and behaviour that is appropriate for their own age. That is where the responsibility of broadcasters becomes important.
A programme may be intended primarily for mature audiences, but the reality is that children can still gain access to it. In many Nigerian homes, parents and children share the same television. Beyond television, children increasingly have access to smartphones, streaming platforms and social media, sometimes with little or no supervision. This raises a fundamental question for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and other relevant authorities: Are Nigeria’s existing broadcasting safeguards strong enough to protect children from inappropriate mature content?
Government regulation should not mean killing the entertainment industry or dictating what adults can watch. It should mean ensuring that broadcasters observe appropriate standards, provide meaningful age classifications and apply reasonable safeguards designed to protect children. There must be a clear distinction between adult entertainment and children’s access to adult content.
The challenge is even greater today because television is no longer the only screen in the home. A child can move from television to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram or another digital platform within seconds. The digital environment has made parental supervision more difficult, while simultaneously making potentially inappropriate material easier for children to encounter.
Parents therefore have an enormous responsibility. They cannot leave the moral and psychological development of their children entirely in the hands of television producers. Parents must know what their children are watching, discuss inappropriate material with them, use parental controls where available and establish clear boundaries around television, smartphones and internet use.
But parents also need support from regulators and broadcasters. Where a programme contains mature material, viewers should receive adequate warnings. Where the nature of the content requires it, appropriate scheduling and age restrictions should be enforced. Broadcasting regulators must also respond promptly and transparently when credible complaints are received.
The entertainment industry itself should recognise that having millions of viewers is not merely a commercial advantage. It is also a social responsibility. Programmes with enormous audiences can influence conversations, fashion, relationships, language and behaviour. That influence can be positive, but it can also become problematic when children consume material created primarily for adults.
This is why Nigeria needs a serious national conversation—not only about BBNaija, but about the entire media environment available to Nigerian children. What are our children watching? Who is monitoring their access? Are parents sufficiently informed about content classifications? Are broadcasters doing enough to limit children’s exposure to mature material? And is the regulator enforcing existing rules effectively?
These questions should not be dismissed as an attack on entertainment. They are questions about the kind of society Nigeria wants to build. A society that celebrates creativity and freedom must equally protect childhood development. We cannot demand responsible behaviour from children while giving them unrestricted access to material they may not yet possess the maturity to understand.
The government, through the appropriate regulatory authorities, should therefore review the effectiveness of existing broadcasting safeguards and investigate credible complaints concerning potentially harmful content accessible to minors. Broadcasters should equally strengthen age warnings, scheduling restrictions and parental-control mechanisms, while parents must take greater responsibility for what enters their children’s screens.
Schools, parents and community organisations also have a role to play in educating children about boundaries, relationships, sexuality, peer pressure and responsible media consumption. Simply telling children not to watch something may no longer be enough in an age where smartphones and social media are everywhere. Children need age-appropriate guidance that helps them understand what they encounter rather than leaving them to interpret adult content on their own.
The concern before Nigeria is therefore bigger than BBNaija. It is about whether we are becoming a society where every form of entertainment is justified in the name of ratings, fame and commercial success, even when children can easily access it. Entertainment has its place, and freedom has its place, but child protection must also have its place.
Nigeria should not wait until disturbing cases become widespread before regulators, broadcasters and parents act.
BBNaija may be entertainment to millions of adults, but when children are watching, the question becomes much bigger than entertainment. What we permit our children to repeatedly see today may influence what they eventually consider normal tomorrow. That is why the conversation must begin now.
