{"id":18856,"date":"2025-12-04T07:47:32","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T07:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/?p=18856"},"modified":"2025-12-04T07:47:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T07:47:32","slug":"building-sustainable-media-in-nigeria-navigating-innovation-credibility-and-revenue-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenewsnow.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/04\/building-sustainable-media-in-nigeria-navigating-innovation-credibility-and-revenue-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"BUILDING SUSTAINABLE MEDIA IN NIGERIA: NAVIGATING INNOVATION, CREDIBILITY AND REVENUE CHALLENGES"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Isiaq Ajibola, co -founder and former Managing Director, Daily Trust Newspaper.
\nAuthor, Journalism & Business ; My Newspaper Odyssey<\/p>\n

For the International Press Institute (IPI) Conference, Abuja \u2013 December 2, 2025<\/p>\n

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I am honoured to stand before you today to speak on a subject that carries the weight of our shared future “Building Sustainable Media in Nigeria; Navigating Innovation, Credibility and Revenue Challenges”.<\/p>\n

This is not just another industry conversation. It is a defining moment, because the Nigerian media is standing on the edge of a turning point. And the decisions we take today will determine whether we remain relevant in our media job tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A. A Defining Moment for the Media
\nWe are living through dramatic transformation.
\nThe business models that sustained journalism for more than 100 years are disappearing.
\nPrint revenues have declined.
\nRadio and TV face new and aggressive competitors.
\nDigital platforms now control advertising.
\nAudiences have migrated to mobile, on-demand, personalised content.<\/p>\n

But despite these disruptions, I believe we stand at the threshold of the most exciting era in our profession because technology on its own has expanded our reach,
\ninnovation has collapsed long-standing barriers,
\nand new opportunities now exist for organisations prepared enough to reinvent themselves.<\/p>\n

B. The Three Pillars.
\nTo survive and thrive, we must anchor the future of Nigerian media on three interconnected pillars:
\n1. Innovation
\n2. Credibility
\n3. Revenue Sustainability<\/p>\n

These pillars are inseparable.
\nInnovation without credibility is an empty etho,
\nCredibility without revenue is unsustainable
\nAnd revenue without innovation is ephemeral<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Let us look at them one after the other<\/p>\n

1. INNOVATION
\nOur first duty is to innovate.
\nA modern newsroom cannot be built on old structures.
\n\u201cDigital-first\u201d is no longer a philosophy \u2014 it is survival.
\nA digital-first newsroom is one that;<\/p>\n

(i).Tells stories in multiple formats
\nText, video, audio, short social clips, data graphics, explainers.<\/p>\n

(ii). Optimises content for mobile
\nwhich means:
\nwriting shorter sentences,
\nusing vertical video,
\ncompressing load time,
\ndesigning layouts that display well on small screens, and
\nensuring headlines are punchy and searchable.<\/p>\n

(iii). Uses analytics to understand audiences which reveal:<\/p>\n

which stories readers finish,
\nwhat topics they skip,
\nwhere they stop watching a video,
\nand what time they consume content.
\nThis is how newsrooms now shape editorial calendars from real data \u2014 not assumptions.<\/p>\n

(iv) Trains journalists to use modern tools<\/p>\n

AI tools for transcription, analysis, translation and content discovery.
\nData tools for visualisation.
\nAutomation for repetitive tasks like tagging, archiving and formatting.<\/p>\n

(v). Experiments with new formats<\/p>\n

Explainers, deep dives, newsletters, podcasts, live blogs, interactives \u2014 formats that younger audiences already prefer.<\/p>\n

Innovation is not an indulgence . It is an essential survival
\nstrategy.<\/p>\n

Technology Capital Readiness; building for scalability and innovation<\/p>\n

Your technology is the invisible engine behind your success. A modern newsroom requires a flexible, SEO-optimised Content Management System (CMS) to ensure stories rank high on Google, are published quickly in multiple formats (text, video, podcast), and can integrate seamlessly with newsletters, social platforms, and apps.
\nYour Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and payment systems must also be technology-driven. Invest in seamless payment gateways like Paystack or Flutterwave, and prioritise automation and renewals. Most importantly, build for mobile first \u2014 over 85% of Nigerian audiences consume news via smartphones.<\/p>\n

As part of your innovation you must be ready human capacity ready.<\/p>\n

Human Capital Readiness. Building a lean, smart, multi-skilled team is it.
\nIn today\u2019s media business, small teams with the right skills often outperform some large organisations. You must invest in good journalists, multimedia producers, social media experts and data reporters who can distribute stories across platforms and constantly guage audience needs.
\nBeyond the newsroom, business-focused personnel are essential. content monetisation specialists, event managers, and subscription growth strategists all of whom directly drive revenue must be hired. A lean, cross-functional team of fewer than 15 people in the early phase can often deliver more impact than a larger, less focused workforce.<\/p>\n

2. CREDIBILITY<\/p>\n

But innovation alone cannot save us.
\nOur greatest asset is not the printing press, digital newsrooms, the transmitter or the website.
\nIt is credibility; the single currency that outlives every technology cycle.<\/p>\n

As you will aggree with me today\u2019s information ecosystem is polluted.
\nRumours move faster than facts.
\nSocial media amplifies confusion.
\nAnyone with a smartphone claims to be a journalist.<\/p>\n

This places a heavier responsibility on us to:
\nStrengthen fact-checking
\nUphold ethics
\nAvoid sensationalism
\nSeparate news from opinions
\nDisclose sponsored content
\nCorrect errors transparently<\/p>\n

In a world drowning in misinformation, neutrality becomes a premium brand.
\nCredibility is our competitive edge \u2014 we must guard it jealously.<\/p>\n

3. THE REVENUE CHALLENGES: THE PATH FORWARD<\/p>\n

To explain the path forward, I\u2019ll use a simple Revenue Model Framework, built around three categories which i will call primary, secondary, and future-growth revenue streams.<\/p>\n

I. PRIMARY REVENUE STREAMS<\/p>\n

These are the immediate, high-impact income generators driving today\u2019s digital media revenue
\nThey include.
\nDigital advertising, such as programmatic and direct display ads<\/p>\n

Branded social content on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube<\/p>\n

YouTube monetisation, especially for our TV broadcast houses<\/p>\n

And importantly, Native Advertising
\nI would like to single out Native Advertising as a unique model<\/p>\n

Native advertising is not a replacement for traditional advertising \u2014it is a pillar within it.<\/p>\n

Native advertising refers to paid storytelling that blends seamlessly with a media platform\u2019s editorial style. It is credible, value-adding, and far more engaging than traditional ads.<\/p>\n

And globally, it is extremely lucrative.<\/p>\n

The New York Times once earned over $250,000 from a single native advertising article created for Netflix\u2019s series “Orange Is the New Black”.
\nThis was a deeply reported, magazine-style feature about women in U.S. prisons\u2014paid for by Netflix, but produced in the New York Times\u2019 editorial style.<\/p>\n

Native advertising is now deeply integrated into Nigeria\u2019s print media through sponsored features, special reports, branded journalism pull-outs, and corporate-backed analysis pages that look and feel like regular editorial content. These campaigns; sponsored by banks, telcos, oil & gas firms, development agencies, and FMCGs have become a significant revenue source for major newspapers in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

So in our primary revenue consideration, native advertising stands as one of the most profitable and fastest-growing income streams, especially in the digital space.<\/p>\n

II. SECONDARY REVENUE STREAMS<\/p>\n

These are medium-term opportunities that complement the core business.
\nThey include:
\nEvents and conferences, like BusinessDay\u2019s CEO Forum<\/p>\n

Subscriptions and premium content offered by Stear and Business Day<\/p>\n

What\u2019s interesting is that native advertising often becomes a gateway to these secondary engagements.
\nA brand that invests in a native story may later sponsor an event, commission a research report, or fund a documentary-style video.
\nSo native ads don\u2019t replace secondary streams\u2014they strengthen and expand them.<\/p>\n

III. FUTURE-GROWTH REVENUE STREAMS<\/p>\n

These are long-term opportunities that will shape the next phase of media in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

They include:
\nData and research products<\/p>\n

Podcasts and audio monetisation<\/p>\n

E-commerce and affiliate partnerships<\/p>\n

Here again, native content evolves into more advanced forms.
\ninteractive storytelling, co-branded research, sponsored documentaries, and multimedia brand partnerships.
\nThis is the direction global leaders like BBC StoryWorks and The Economist have already gone.<\/p>\n

So across all three tiers\u2014primary, secondary, and future-growth,native advertising plays a role.
\nIt is immediate, it is expandable, and it is future-facing. It is easier done<\/p>\n

The Economics of the New Rules<\/p>\n

Overall the Economics of the new rulecl is Accounting for Profit \u2013 measure, measure, and optimise!<\/p>\n

Profitability must be tracked and deliberately managed. Break down your revenue streams into categories ;advertising, subscriptions, events, branded partnerships and monitor each one\u2019s performance regularly.<\/p>\n

Control costs by classifying them into content production, technology, marketing, and overheads. Then track key business parameters such as: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): The total cost of acquiring a new paying customer.
\nExample: If you spend \u20a65 million on advertising and logistics to attract 1,000 subscribers, your CAC is \u20a65,000.<\/p>\n

Revenue per Thousand Views (RPM): This may be harder to calculate, but it helps you identify which parts of your business are most profitable and where to focus resources.<\/p>\n

Above all, remember: \u201cIf you can measure it, you can manage it \u2014 and if you can manage it, you can monetise it.\u201d<\/p>\n

And never forget that credibility itself is money. The more trust you build with your readers, the more likely they are to pay for your value proposition or recommend your platform to others.<\/p>\n

A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE MEDIA<\/p>\n

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
\nThe Nigerian media has survived military rule, dictatorship, recessions and political intimidation.
\nWe survived deregulation, digital disruption and revenue collapse.<\/p>\n

What we face today is not going to hurt the media.
\nIt is the beginning of a new chapter; a chapter that demands<\/p>\n

Innovation
\nCredibility
\nSustainability
\nReinvention<\/p>\n

If we build on these pillars, the Nigerian media will not just survive
\nit will flourish, to shape national conversation, strengthen democracy and continue inspire future generations.
\nThank you very much.
\nGod bless you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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