By 
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has officially launched Nigeria’s first technology-based Audience Measurement System for the broadcasting sector, designed to generate accurate and reliable data on television viewership across the country.
Speaking at the launch event in Abuja on Thursday, Idris highlighted the system’s critical role in ensuring that broadcasting efforts are impactful and reflective 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 insights 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 stated.
Idris described the introduction of the system as a groundbreaking achievement that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a more prosperous and technologically advanced Nigeria.
He emphasized the necessity of this new system, pointing out that the current Audience Measurement still relies on the outdated Diary Method, pen and paper for collecting data on TV viewership and radio listenership, which fails to accurately represent the true audience metrics.
“Similarly, station owners, content producers, artists, and the entire supply ecosystem have not been benefiting adequately; more importantly, they are neither motivated nor challenged to produce better content that meets demand, as there is no accurate measurement of who likes it, what they like, and how much they like it. This has clearly stunted the growth of Nigeria’s entire entertainment and media ecosystem,” he explained.
The Minister noted the disheartening reality that despite Nigeria having more than three times the television viewership of South Africa, its television advertising market revenue remains lower than that of South Africa and Kenya. This discrepancy necessitated the adoption of a system that will ensure exponential growth in Nigeria’s advertising spend over the coming 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 added.
Idris highlighted that the project would create 500 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs, setting the stage for the financial rebirth and repositioning of Nigeria’s broadcasting industry in preparation for the digital era, as the Federal Government continues its efforts toward the implementation of the Digital Switch Over. (Nigerian Pilot)
Comments