The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has said, that the Federal Government will leverage the Audience Measurement System to strategically position the broadcasting industry as a catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and innovation.
According to a press release signed by the Special Assistant to the minister on media and publicity, Rabiu Ibrahim, Idris stated this in Abuja on Thursday when he received the interim report and findings of the Audience Measurement Task Team, which is designing a framework for the commencement of a scientifically based audience measurement system in the country.
The minister said: “The comprehensive insights provided by the findings of this committee offer a unique opportunity to strategically position our broadcasting industry as a catalyst for economic growth.
“By leveraging the data on audience behavior, preferences, and engagement patterns, we aim to facilitate a more conducive environment for economic activities within the media sector.
“This initiative aligns with the present administration’s commitment to the promotion of innovation, job creation, and sustainable economic development. The data-driven decisions derived from the report will not only enhance the quality and relevance of our broadcasts but also unlock new avenues for investment, advertising, and content creation.”
He lamented that the current Audience Measurement in the country is over two decades old and still uses the 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 much people are watching/listening to particular content.
He said this development has stunted the growth of the entire entertainment and media ecosystem.
The minister said introducing the Audience Measurement System becomes imperative because of the underperformance of the broadcast advertising market despite the nation’s huge population.
“Despite having more than three times the eyeballs in South Africa, Nigeria’s television advertising market revenue is low compared to that of South Africa, and Kenya; as we’re third in the continent, he stated.
Idris, who described the findings of the task team as a new dawn for the country, said the system holds immense importance in ensuring that broadcasting endeavors are not only impactful but also reflective of our audience’s diverse preferences and needs.
He is optimistic that if properly harnessed using accurate data mined through the Audience Measurement System, advertising marketing revenue can boost the nation’s GDP.
He said it will also serve as a tool that empowers broadcasters and content producers to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of media consumers, providing valuable insights into their viewing habits, content preferences, and engagement patterns.
The minister said the commitment to excellence and thoroughness in examining the intricacies of broadcast audience carried out by the task team and the service provider is commendable and promised to further engage critical stakeholders on the implementation of the scientifically based Audience Measurement System in Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Task Team and former Chief Executive Officer of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi, said the initiative to implement a scientifically based audience measurement system in Nigeria started in 2020.
The Team collated the opinions of all the stakeholders in the industry on how to make the system work.
On his part, the Chairman of First Media and Entertainment Integrated (Nigeria) Limited, the service provider, Mr. Rotimi Pedro, said they had engaged the services of an independent company to conduct the establishment survey to guarantee the credibility of the findings in line with global best practices.
Pedro said an establishment survey of 60,000 people was conducted by the company where households were selected with a cluster sampling methodology based on multilayer Geographic Information System data.
