The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a tool to further monitor and control media contents for viewers safety in the country.
This tool aims to generate accurate and reliable data of television viewers in the country, as well as designed to reflect the diverse preferences and needs of the audience.
The launch took place on Thursday in Abuja, where the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who performed the launch, said that the Audience Measurement System holds immense importance in ensuring that the aim of broadcasting were not only entered on impacting the audience but also a reflection of the diverse preferences and needs of the audience.
“It is a tool that empowers us to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of our media consumers, providing valuable perception into their viewing habits, content preferences, and engagement patterns. It is therefore gratifying to note that this project, which started in 2020, has finally come to fruition,” he said.
According to the Minister, the introduction of the system is a groundbreaking achievement that aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a more prosperous and technology advancement Nigeria, which is very necessary because the current Audience Measurement still uses age-old Diary Method (pen and paper) of collecting data on TV Viewership and Radio Listenership, which does not reflect the true picture of what and how many people are watching or listening to a particular content.
“It is a tool that empowers us to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of our media consumers, providing valuable perception into their viewing habits, content preferences, and engagement patterns. It is therefore gratifying to note that this project, which started in 2020, has finally come to fruition,” he said.
Furthermore, the Minister who expressed displeasure in comparison, said that despite of having more than three times the eyeballs in South Africa, Nigeria’s television advertising market revenue remains low compared to that of South Africa, and Kenya; a development that necessitated the adoption of a system that will ensure that the advertising spend in Nigeria grows exponentially in the next couple of years.
“I am confident that a transparent and reliable audience measurement system will attract greater investment into the media sector, driving economic growth and creating job opportunities. It will also enhance Nigeria’s reputation as a market with robust and trustworthy media analytics,” he said.
However, the Minister assured that President Tinubu is committed to developing the entire media landscape in Nigeria as amply demonstrated in his recent directive to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Bank of Industry to extend financial facilities to the media industry at a single digit interest rate, as project which would generate 500 employment directly and 2,500 jobs indirectly, is set to jumpstart the repositioning and financial re-birth of Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
First Media Entertainment Integrated Limited/GARB service providers, were directed by the Minister to mount an aggressive public sensitization and advocacy to all the relevant sectoral groups in order to adequately harness the potentials of the Audience Measurement System.
The following dignitaries attended the event: Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musawa; Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Eze Kenneth Emeka; Chairman, House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Steve Fatoba; Bulgarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yanko Yordanov; former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Special Adivser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and all the Directors General of the agencies in the Information ministry, among others.