The Minister of Information and Culture, Mohammed Idris, has said the audience measurement system is projected to employ up to 3000 Nigerians.
Idris stated this at the official launch of the first scientific-based audience measurement system on Thursday in Abuja.
He said, “I am confident that a transparent and reliable audience measurement system will attract greater investment into creating an enhanced reputation as a market with robust and trustworthy media analytics.”
Idris noted that the system empowers broadcasters to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of media consumers, providing valuable perception into their viewing habits, content preferences and the likes.
He said, “With this scientific-based system, advertisers can have greater confidence in the accuracy of viewership numbers, leading to more strategic and impactful advertising campaigns in Nigeria. Broadcasters will also benefit from clear insights into audience preferences, which will help in enhancing the quality and relevance of their programming. This will ultimately lead to a more engaged and satisfied audience.”
He also added, “I am also informed that in its full operation, the Audience Measurement System is projected to directly employ up to 500 Nigerians and 2,500 people indirectly.
“This project will jumpstart the repositioning and financial re-birth of Nigeria’s broadcasting industry and better prepare it for the digital era as the Federal Government is still on track towards the implementation of the Digital Switch Over.”
He further said, “The introduction of this sophisticated audience measurement system is a groundbreaking achievement that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a more prosperous and technologically advanced Nigeria.
“This system will serve as a cornerstone for reliable data, by providing accurate and comprehensive insights into media consumption patterns across various demography.
“This system we are launching today holds immense importance in ensuring that our broadcasting endeavours are not only impactful but also reflective of the diverse preferences and needs of our audience. It is a tool that empowers us to understand and respond to the dynamic nature of our media consumers, providing valuable perception into their viewing habits, content preferences, and engagement patterns. It is therefore gratifying to note that this project, which started in 2020, has finally come to fruition.”
He explained that the introduction of the system would also change the old order which was never beneficial to the station owners, content producers, and artists.
“The introduction of the system becomes very necessary because our current Audience Measurement still uses the age-old Diary Method (pen and paper) for collecting data on TV Viewership and Radio Listenership, which does not reflect the true picture of what and how many people are watching or listening to particular content.
“Similarly, Station Owners, Content Producers, Artists, essentially the entire supply ecosystem, were not benefiting in many ways; more importantly, they were neither motivated nor challenged to produce more and better content that caters to the ‘demand’, as the measure of who likes it, what they like, how much they like, etc. This has stunted the growth of the entire entertainment and media ecosystem in Nigeria.”
