The need for national funding support, to enable the media industry to recover from the devastating impact of the hard economy, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, was the major focus, at a two-day roundtable conference, on Media Development and Sustainable Funding in Nigeria.
The programme held at the Bayero University Kano, brought together, government functionaries, media executives and academicians.
It was another moment for the best in the media industry to chart the way forward.
In his keynote address, the Chairman of Channels Television, John Momoh said media organizations are grappling with the issue of underfunding, with social media now taking the large percentage of advertising.
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The convener of the conference, Professor Umaru Pate, and other speakers, said funding determines the level of editorial independence of any media organization.
They called on the government to provide subvention to privately-owned media houses.
While declaring the conference open, the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, believed the media industry has suffered the equal effect of global health challenges, and an unfriendly economic environment, and deserved similar national attention, accorded other industries.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
