Media & Entertainment
From The Report: Nigeria 2017
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Nigeria’s first news outlet was established in 1859, and the country’s media sector has since grown into a prosperous industry that comprises newspapers, radio broadcasters and television stations, and caters to an audience of over 189m in a variety of languages. As is the case for many media industries around the world, the shift to digital has resulted in changes in Nigeria. Some alterations have been simple to navigate, while others, such as the rise in online content, have proven more difficult. With a young population and a high rate of connectivity in regional terms, Nigeria is well placed to embrace the new media revolution.

This chapter contains an interview with Jason Njoku, CEO, Iroko.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Engaging a modern audience: The sector undergoes a period of rapid change
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Nigeria’s first news outlet was established in 1859, and the country’s media sector has since grown into a prosperous industry that comprises newspapers, radio broadcasters and television stations, and caters to an audience of over 180m in a variety of languages. As is the case for many media industries around the world, the shift to digital has resulted in changes in Nigeria. Some alterations have been simple to navigate, while others, such as the rise in online content, have proven…

Interview

Making it in Nollywood: Jason Njoku, CEO, Iroko, on reaching audiences in sub-Saharan Africa and supporting young talent
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Interview:Jason Njoku What are the main challenges in delivering content to viewers in sub-Saharan Africa? JASON NJOKU: We have found that the lack of affordable and reliable broadband internet has been one of the main challenges in reaching the viewership goals we would like to achieve. In 2015 we decided to de-emphasise the streaming platform of our products, and instead reconfigured our flagship brand to be a mobile-only and download-only product, focusing on the Android platform first. As…

Analysis

Contemporary crossover: The government makes progress towards completing the switch from analogue to free digital TV
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Nigeria’s television and broadcasting industry is about to undergo dramatic changes, as the government oversees the process of migrating broadcasting from analogue to digital. While several countries in Africa have switched off their analogue signal, Nigeria is set to become the first country on the continent to transition from analogue to free digital TV. This presents authorities with significant challenges, but also has the potential to substantially benefit the industry. Migration The…

Analysis

Rising star: The burgeoning domestic film industry continues to rake in revenue
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A number of new records set by Nollywood – the colloquial name for Nigeria’s domestic film industry – brought 2016 to a successful close. In the last two weeks of the year The Wedding Party, a locally produced film, broke records for the biggest opening weekend, the biggest week and the highest box office sales total for a Nigerian film, eclipsing the previous record of N178m ($629,000). By the end of the year the romantic comedy, which featured a star-heavy cast and high production…