The Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (NAMIP), in collaboration with the Daily Trust Foundation, will host a two-day conference on media sustainability in Abuja on July 30 and 31, 2025.
With the theme “Future-Proofing Nigeria’s Journalism Media – A Sustainability Dynamic,” the event aims to bring together key players in the media sector—including entrepreneurs, editors, technologists, policymakers, investors, and philanthropic partners—from Nigeria and across Africa to explore strategies for the survival and growth of independent journalism.
NAMIP while announcing the conference, said it will serve as a platform for critical conversations on media viability, revenue diversification, innovative audience engagement, and the sustainability of public interest journalism in the digital age.
The event also marks a key milestone for NAMIP, a programme of the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), which is concluding the first phase of its three-year implementation in Nigeria. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation, NAMIP has supported 28 media organisations in adopting new business models, experimenting with emerging technologies, and developing audience-focused strategies to improve their long-term sustainability.
Similarly, the Daily Trust Foundation, also backed by the MacArthur Foundation, has trained more than 1,000 journalists in investigative reporting over the past eight years. Many of the journalists trained through its workshops have gone on to win local and international recognition for their work.
The conference will feature keynote speeches, research presentations, panel discussions, product showcases, and hands-on workshops. Organisers say these sessions are designed to reflect on recent innovations while charting a practical path forward for Nigerian media.
Confirmed speakers at the event include Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Harlan Mandel, CEO, Media Development Investment Fund, Bilya Bala, Chairman, Daily Trust Foundation, Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher, Premium Times, and Umaru Pate, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Kashere. Other speakers are Mannir Dan-Ali, Board Member, Daily Trust Foundation, Angela Agoawike, Founder, Omalicha Radio, Toun Okewale Sonaiya, Co-Founder, Women Radio 91.7, Isiaq Ajibola, former Managing Director and COO, Daily Trust, Representatives from the Daily Maverick (South Africa) and the NAMIP Advisory Committee.
According to the conference notice, the gathering will not only promote peer learning and knowledge exchange but also celebrate the resilience of Nigerian media practitioners navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.
“The conference will be a unique opportunity for Nigerians in the media and journalism business to learn from models and practices that work in other parts of the world,” said Dr Theophilus Abbah, Programme Director of the Daily Trust Foundation. “Despite the disruptions brought by digitisation, experts have come up with innovations and strategies that could keep media businesses alive.”
Deji Adekunle, Programme Director of NAMIP, added: “This convening gives us an opportunity to share learnings, ideas, and confront the questions we all face on the subject of sustainability of public interest media. We hope that participants leave the conference inspired, connected, and well informed about what the future of independent media and its innovations look like.”
