Broadcasting
NEPC, NFC, Others Team up to Export Entertainment Industry
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), World Bank, National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Nigeria Film Corporation (NFC) and Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have joined forces to ensure that the Nigerian entertainment industry is taken to the international market.
Already, the World Bank has set aside a whopping $20 million for the project termed, “Harnessing the Nigerian Entertainment industry for Formal Export,” which they believe will earn Nigeria huge revenue in foreign exchange.
David I. Adulugba, NEPC Executive Director/CEO of NEPC said that the agency noted that “part of the NEPC strategy was to facilitate opportunities for entrepreneurs who wish to go into exports.”
He said the NEPC is doing collaborarative efforts as well as partnering with relevant agencies and stakeholders to see how “our music producers can be granted access to finance their productions.”
The NEPC boss also criticised the activities of pirates, whom he said have rubbished the success the music industry has recorded, adding that “piracy has affected the careers of many Nigerian musicians that could have contributed to the global music industry, which value he put at about $40 billion.
Adulugba said he believed that collaboration would mark the beginning of milestone towards the development of the entertainment industry as one of the products that can increase the basket of exportable products from Nigeria.
M. O. Ibrahim, area controller, South, also said the NEPC had identified entertainment industry as one with huge potential in terms of generating foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria.
He said with cooperation, the collaboration effort would be able to uplift the fortunes of the entertainment industry to the benefit of the nation.
He pointed out that since the works of Nigeria’s entertainment industry have a global audience, such should spur the collaborating efforts opportunity to take a closer look at the industry and work out strategies to move it ahead.
NEPC explained that the Nigerian music industry produces an average of 550 albums of different types of music annually, adding that an estimated 1,200 concerts and musical shows take place every year and account for a combined annual turnover of US$105.5 million.
While the mapping of the creative industries of Nigeria still has not been done, it is time that the Federal Government should consider the contribution of the creative industries to the gross national product very seriously.
The United Nations’ Creative Economy Report 2008 demonstrates that creative industries are powerful engines for economic growth and trade development in developing countries. This is true not only in terms of direct economic impact from the sale of goods and services but, importantly, also as a multiplier in other sectors by stimulating new business opportunities and enhanced capacity.
The global market for traded goods and services of the creative industries has enjoyed unprecedented dynamism in recent years. Their global export value reached $424.4 billion in 2005, accounting for 3.4% of world trade, compared with $227.4 million in 1996, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Over the period from 2000 to 2005, creative industries’ share of global markets grew at an annual rate of 8.7%, a trend that is likely to continue, given the positive prospects for global demand. Exports of creative services increased by 8.8% annually, rising from $38.2 billion in 1996 to $89 billion in 2005.
While developed countries have dominated both export and import flows, developing countries year after year have increased their share in world markets for creative products, and their exports have risen faster than those from developed countries.
Exports of creative goods from developing economies accounted for 29 per cent of world exports of such goods in 1996 and reached 41 per cent in 2005, with China alone accounting for 19 percent.
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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