Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has pledged to turn around the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) to enable it compete with the likes of Cable News Network (CNN) if the $500m loan the ministry requested is approved. He stated this when he appeared before Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans to defend the $500m loan the ministry applied for from President Muhammadu Buhari’s $29.96b loan for funding critical infrastructure in the country.

The minister explained that if the fund was approved, the NTA could be upgraded to enable it to send out signals that would be at par with CNN, “because we have the manpower and the technology.”He explained that the creative industry was not just about Television alone, but film, music, fashion and photography, adding that there was no better platform to showcase Nigeria’s talents than having a digital system.

He said the creative industry employs no fewer than one million young persons directly and indirectly, noting, “If this project is approved, there will be more visibility for our people in the music, fashion and film industries.

“In 2014, we made $23m from music alone and about $53m in 2019 and we are looking forward to making $83m in 2025. You can imagine the kind of growth we will have if only we digitise all the NTA stations in the country.”

He said the project for which the ministry planned to borrow the $500m was about employment and revenue generation, saying the industry contributes 1.492 to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Apart from agriculture, which is the largest employer of labour in Nigeria, especially the youths, the next largest employer of labour is the creative industry,” he said, insisting that the $500m would go a long way in improving the creative industry.

“The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2006 gave June 17, 2015 as deadline for all members of the organisation to migrate from analogue to digital. Regrettably, we were unable to meet the deadline along side most countries in sub-Sahara Africa, the deadline was moved to 2017, which was not reliable and today the target is June 17, 2020,” he stated.

He restated the need for the country to meet the new deadline because if the world migrates from analogue to digital and Nigeria remains analogue, it meant that it would be unable to enlighten, entertain and educate Nigerians. He said the loan was aimed at establishing the media and culture industry centre at the cost of $245m, digitise all NTA stations at $11m and construct integrated television services to infuse on network, which is signal distributor and essential component of the digitisation project.

Source: https://m.guardian.ng/news/approval-of-500m-loan-will-rejig-nta-to-compete-with-cnn/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

With network of stations across Nigeria, Nigeria Television Authority should be a self-financing CASHCOW rather than a subvention-dependent sick cow. World class equipment and digitization would do little if the current NTA is not restructured. My suggestions:

- The first step in upgrading our good old NTA is to do a SWOT analysis of the Network and then articulate a self-sustaining business plan and matching business model, which stakeholders including NASS members should view and assess. Anything less than this means the loan money will be frittered away if approved. So, no PLAN or clear roadmap, no approval.

- Second step is to retain mainstream NTA News channel as public service station linking government to the people but with mandate to staff to be more dynamic rather than conservative.

- Third step is to create a number of Strategic Business Units (SBUs) out the existing network, which will service specific market segments as purely PROFIT CENTRES to be run by separate Managements and right staff size of dynamic professionals. Such SBUs all under NTA Board can be sports channel, entertainment and life style channel, live events channel, NTA television college, etc

If JAMB is now a revenue centre, what stops NTA from doing better?

That's fine

Make dem just borrow that money use am buy small small chicken share give everybody for the country make dem dey train their thing small small, because, even if you hand them the entire US budget, so long as say na still NTA-Northern Television Authority, nothing go still change.

Why borrow,on ce the management are still the old buffons there it will never change,you can only privatize the thing to channels T.v .

Mark my word: by the time APC FG government are done with their wonders in 2023, the money they would have borrowed in their 8years will be triple of what the PDP has borrowed in their 16years of bad governance.

In summary: the APC motto remains 'the more we look, the less we see'.

Scammers!!!

500 what?
Nigeria is deep in shiit.

Ojiofor:
500 what?
Nigeria is deep in shiit.

It is pathetic. Half a billion dollars for digitalizing TV?

APC government is Sack, killings and borrow.

That station is a national disgrace. Shame on Lai Mohammed (it falls under his ministry) that he couldn't do anything about it during their first tenure, despite how much they promised to bring life to it if they get elected.

MasterRahl:
It is pathetic. Half a billion dollars for digitalizing TV?

Just imagine.

JasonScoolari:
"Borrow Borrow" government will give an estimate of $500m for a project, but will use $20m to execute it.... The remaining $480m balance,well, your guess is as good as mine.


This lifeless administration has plunge the country into chronic indebtedness.

Shame!

It's quite a shame on you to be among the people who affirms a belief that social media might have come too early to Nigeria.
Everyone child wants to comment even on matters they are totally ignorant about. What do you know about TV stations both analogue and digital? I mean can you even afford a TV set?

Did you and the 'first to comment crew' even try to read the report to the end? No. You just read "$500m" and then your adrenaline pushes you type whatever...

No doubt, the proposed social media regulation would have helped a lot.

Go to Quora or other educative websites and you'd see it will cost about $850m to setup a TV station. But you didn't even read the part where Lai said....

... the loan was aimed at establishing the media and culture industry centre at the cost of $245m, digitise all NTA stations at $11m and construct integrated television services to infuse on network, .......

Instead you were bent on making bold every letter you need to expose your ignorance.

*******
A while ago, many people would scream about reformig NTA. The display is whack, their staff is this and that...... Here is a way out and then it's another complaint again

After reading my mentions, I still could see the reason why a white man's Twitter thrives better than Nairaland even within Nigeria. The old people outgrew here

tiwiex:


Please what is media and culture industry center? Cite an example of one you know. It's even worse. That one is money we can't audit because no one even knows what that means. The integrated service is also vague.

Well, we currently have 12 centers in the country.

And one other person was asking me the use ; well, I'd ask you to make research yourself. But nevertheless, it's meant to promote, preserve your culture and also a means of job creation

[s]

Officialgarri:

[/s]

Sell the useless station or enter a joint agreement with a company to manage it. Why borrow such huge sum for propaganda? This people should fear God with all these useless loans. Who will repay them?

Those granting them these useless loans better beware because Nigeria does not have the capacity or the ability to repay it. They are only lending money to thieves and a time will come where they will have to prove whether the people who collected the loan had the authority to collect such huge sums or the ability to pay.

Borrow borrow government.

Obviously the money will enter a few pockets and that's all we are going to hear about it.

I thought they digitalized NTA during the tenure of Ben Murray-Bruce?

They want to digitalize it again.

As if that will make it come close to the standard of CNN.

[s]

FrLukas:
Borrow borrow government.

Obviously the money will enter a few pockets and that's all we are going to hear about it.

I thought they digitalized NTA during the tenure of Ben Murray-Bruce?

They want to digitalize it again.

As if that will make it come close to the standard of CNN.

[/s]

Lai Mohammed no dey tire ??

Why not just come out openly and tell us you're looking for free money to divert ?

Or of what use is competing with CNN when you can't compete favorably at par with stations like Channels or TVC ?

Officialgarri:

It's quite a shame on you to be among the people who affirms a belief that social media might have come too early to Nigeria.
Everyone child wants to comment even on matters they are totally ignorant about. What do you know about TV stations both analogue and digital? I mean can you even afford a TV set?

Did you and the 'first to comment crew' even try to read the report to the end? No. You just read "$500m" and then your adrenaline pushes you type whatever...

No doubt, the proposed social media regulation would have helped a lot.

Go to Quora or other educative websites and you'd see it will cost about $850m to setup a TV station. But you didn't even read the part where Lai said....

... the loan was aimed at establishing the media and culture industry centre at the cost of $245m, digitise all NTA stations at $11m and construct integrated television services to infuse on network, .......

Instead you were bent on making bold every letter you need to expose your ignorance.

Are we not saying the same thing here? Or you lack comprehension?

Whether the loan was aimed to resurrect Mungo Park, or Sani Abacha,

A large chunk of the borrowed money will be diverted to their Bank Account.... This same government you glorify stylishly is 10x more corrupt than any government in Nigeria.


Do have a lovely day at your grave Ancestors.

I stopped reading as soon as I saw lai Muhammadu. Enuf on my head already

Of what use... please buy time slots from private TV stations.

Nigerian Govt cant be trusted.

It's not enough we are borrowing, but borrowing for useless NTA. How does $500 million to NTA help the hapless masses?

This government is clueless and useless. Any news about it makes me want to throw up.

Imagine borrowing the future of unborn children, Come next 10yrs, NTA will even get worse.

Chai. Nigeria is on sale.

$500Million to digitize the government's propaganda mouthpiece.
God help us o.

BORROW BORROW GOVERNMENT.

$500 million to digitize that useless TV network? How will they make money from NTA to pay back the loan? Who watches NTA?

How many times do you want to rebrand NTA
Any institution that has majority of Fulanis can never grow
Take nigeria for example

Sakamaje

Wetin dey happen for this country sef so since NTA don dey dem never earn such amount
Kilo sele now

Shey awon leader yi fe pawa ni bayi

BORROW BORROW GOVERNMENT.

KWANTINUE.

MasterRahl:


Source: https://m.guardian.ng/news/approval-of-500m-loan-will-rejig-nta-to-compete-with-cnn/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I told people that ABACHA dey learn work were BUHARI dey.

Buhari is the real criminal since ages past.

MasterRahl:


Source: https://m.guardian.ng/news/approval-of-500m-loan-will-rejig-nta-to-compete-with-cnn/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I told people that ABACHA dey learn work were BUHARI dey.

Buhari is the real criminal since ages past.