The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has suspended the shutdown of broadcast stations whose licences were revoked on Friday over unpaid dues.

In a statement on Saturday, the commission said the stations now had up to Tuesday, August 23, to pay their debts.

Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, the director-general of the commission, said the decision was motivated by the “intervention of concerned groups” and “visible” efforts by some of the defaulting stations to clear their debts.

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“Following intervention of concerned groups and visible concerted efforts by some defaulting Licensees to offset their debts, the National Broadcasting Commission hereby serves this notice of an extension of the deadline to shut down to 6.00 PM on Tuesday, August 23, 2022,” the statement reads.

“All affected broadcast stations who fail to defray their debts on or before August 23, 2022 are directed to shut down by 12am on August 24, 2022.”

Earlier on Friday, the NBC revoked the licences of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Silverbird, Raypower FM, Rhythm FM and 48 other television and radio stations over their debts to the regulatory commission.

According to a statement by Ilelah, the stations owed the commission dues to the tune of N2.6 billion.