The maiden Directors General (DGs) Roundtable stole the spotlight at the Nigeria Media Stakeholders Initiative (NEMCEA) 2025 in Lagos, wrapping up on Tuesday after two days of intense conversations on the future of media, engagement, and policy.
The Tuesday session opened with a panel on “Capturing Attention in a Crowded World.” Media consultant Jibe Ologeh stressed that real impact comes from strategy, not noise. “In this era, countless voices are competing for our time, focus, and trust. The challenge is not the information, but the ability to filter, prioritise, and engage meaningfully,” she said.
Ologeh cautioned against chasing trends, urging creators to focus on sustainable engagement instead of “snappable” content.
Afanide Uwen, MD/CEO of All Seasons Zenith Nigeria, echoed this, arguing that real engagement is measured by long-term impact. “If you want meaningful engagement and long-term business, you have to do something meaningful. Serious brands don’t pursue short-term results; they build sustainable influence,” he said.
The Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) also weighed in, warning that impatience is hurting young creators. “What we see in content creation, particularly by Gen Z, is that many are in too much of a hurry. If you want to be a content creator, you have to hurry slowly. Be resilient, and don’t just look at the money — focus on impact,” he advised.
Attention then shifted to children’s programming with NBC DG Charles Ebuebu and VON DG Jubril Baba Ndache (representing NOA’s DG).
Ebuebu flagged the lack of advertiser investment as a critical gap. “Why is it that advertisers are not putting money in children’s content? If children themselves are not willing to watch, it will not sell. The best strategy is co-production,” he said, urging stakeholders to rethink strategy and explore digital platforms for visibility.
Looking at the global picture, Ndache outlined his “3Ps” approach — People, Platform, and Partnership — as the way forward. “It is the people that make the platform work… and you can’t run any media in the 21st century without partnerships,” he said, noting the growing role of AI and international collaboration in amplifying Nigeria’s voice abroad.
The third session, “Rethinking the Creative Economy: Sustainable Business Models Beyond Traditional Ad Revenue,” examined new financing models for media.
Kingsley Omoefe, Managing Director of Golden Heritage Ltd, argued that younger audiences, especially Gen Z, are shaping new content demands and pushing the industry to rethink how value is created.
On policy, Osana Omame, Director of Corporate Development and Communications at FRCN, stressed the role of regulation in safeguarding the ecosystem.
He noted that agencies like NBC are crucial in “checkmating excesses and balancing the system.”
He also revealed that Radio Nigeria is adapting through its online platform, Click Naija, showing how legacy institutions can pivot in the digital age. The Online Channel even got a certificate of recognition under the best online radio category.
The debut of the DGs Roundtable set the tone for what stakeholders say should become a permanent feature of NEMCEA — a forum to push for stronger media policy, sustainable engagement, and innovative business models in Nigeria’s creative economy.