The International Centre For Investigative Journalism, ICIR, an independent, non-profit news organization which promotes transparency and accountability through robust and objective investigative reporting will convene Media Sustainability Conference as part of its 10th-anniversary celebration.
The conference billed to take place on Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Abuja will bring leading media experts, proprietors and veteran journalists to decipher on revenue challenges in the industry and proffer resilient ways the media can wither the storm.
The ICIR in a statement signed by its Managing Editor, Mr Ajibola Amzat, said as part of preparations marking its 10th year anniversary, the poor financial performance of the Nigerian media was of great concern to the outfit.
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“In the last two years, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the misfortunes of global media enterprise in ways never imagined before.
“But while the Western Media to a large extent seems to have found winning formulae to do business profitably, the media in the Global South, particularly countries in Africa, is still struggling to stay afloat,” the statement read in part.
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The statement quoted Mr Dayo Aiyetan, the Executive Director and Founder of TheICIR as saying that it is high time for media practitioners in Nigeria to come together and find a lasting strategy that will help them stay in the business.
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“The time is now to have a conversation on the future of the media in Africa, particularly its viability and profitability.
“Many news organisations are not profitable because of dwindling sales and ad revenue, many media companies cannot pay salaries and are laying off staff. The media in Nigeria is haemorrhaging”, Mr Aiyetan was quoted as saying.
The event marking the 10th-year anniversary celebrations of TheICIR will feature a presentation by Tshepo Mahloele, Chairperson of Arena Holdings, one of Africa’s largest English newspaper publishers in South Africa.
Mahloele, an entrepreneur who holds major media investments in South Africa and other countries will speak on Sustainability Imperatives for African Media.
Other media moguls to hold discussions at the event include; Chairman, Thisday Newspapers and Proprietor of Arise TV, Chief Nduka Obaigbena; Chief Executive Officer, Hot Fm, Ms Chris Anyanwu; Chief Executive Officer, Daily Trust Newspapers, Mallam Kabir Yusuf; Chief Executive Officer, RadioNow, Kadaria Ahmed and Professor Abigail Ogwezzy–Ndisika of the University of Lagos, while the Managing Director of Guardian Newspaper Limited, Martins Oloja, will moderate the conversation.
