Long-suffering content producers and advertisers will soon heave a sigh of relief as steps are being taken to have an objective Audience Measurement System.
Nigeria currently lacks a scientific Audience Measurement System that articulates the value of the content to consumers as well as the value of the audience to Advertisers in both the television sector and outdoor segment.
As part of efforts to correct the anomaly, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has appointed a Task Team of industry experts to design a framework on Audience Measurement System to ensure that content producers and advertisers get their dues for content and media placement.
Members of the Team, to be inaugurated at a yet to be disclosed date, are a former Registrar of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Alhaji Garba Bello Kankarofi (Chairman); media/entertainment entrepreneur, Obi Asika; Hajia Sa’aa Ibrahim; renowned filmmaker, Mahmoud Ali Balogun and Mrs Pauline Ehusani. The others are a representative of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria and Joe Mutah as Secretary.
Mohammed announced the Team at a meeting with members of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) in Lagos. He also highlighted the imperative of an Industry Framework that ensures that content producers receive their just due for the value of the content they create, as well as provide objective guarantees to the Advertising community on their Return-On-Investment on media placements.
“This will then have the overall effect of guaranteeing greater spend by the Advertisers, who are all seeking to grow their market share,” Mohammed said.
He explained that due to lack of authentic and real data, the Nigerian media advertising total industry volume has historically performed below the global average benchmark relative to the country’s GDP when compared with leading global and African markets despite Nigeria’s position as a leading African economy.
The Minister disclosed that in 2018, Nigeria’s total advertising revenue performed very poorly (0.12%), when compared with South Africa (0.83%), Kenya (0.35%), Ghana (0.29%) and even Tanzania (0.18%).
He added that the lacklustre performance of the advertising industry is attributable directly to a lack of Measurement and Currency of trading.
“The current value of the Nigeria television advertising market is estimated at $200 million, despite a population of about 200 million, which translates to $1 per person. In Ghana, its $3 per person, in South Africa, its $18 per person and in Kenya $7 per person. If Nigeria only reaches Ghana’s level of spend, this would triple the size of the TV advertising market to $600 million per annum, which is an extra $400 million per annum. And 90% or more of this increase would go directly to the businesses and the talents creating them content,” Mohammed said.
The Minister, who lamented that the value of Nigeria’s Broadcasting Advertising Market is not proportionate to the country’s population when compared to the top three markets in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, said despite having a population more than three times that of South Africa, Nigeria’s Television Advertising Revenue in 2016, US$309 million, was 76% behind that of South Africa (US$1,301 million)
“By the end of 2020, the gap between South Africa and Nigeria is projected to decline to 72% marginally. Similarly, in the radio sector, the value of Nigeria’s 2016 advertising revenue of US$81 million was 75% behind its peers, South Africa and Kenya, both at US$343 million.
“In both countries, the value and growth rate of the Broadcasting Advertising Revenue is largely influenced by the availability of a scientific Audience Measurement System that provides confidence to Advertisers in measuring their Return-On-Investment,” he said.
The Minister charged the Task Team to identify best practice Audience Measurement System that will support the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s creative and entertainment industry.
He also asked the Team to recommend a Framework for supporting the sustainability of the Audience Measurement System, independent of the Federal Government; and recommend a payment and disbursement framework among the critical stakeholders in the industry.
The key players are the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MiPAN) and Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN).