The Electronic Media Content Owners Association of Nigeria (EMCOAN), on Monday in Lagos kicked off its maiden edition of Nigeria Electronic Media Content Exhibition and Awards (NEMCEA).
The NEMCEA in partnership with Broadcast Media Africa was set up as Nigeria’s first market place for the discovery and exchange of television, radio and media content.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was a guest of honour at the event, said that Nigeria being one of the biggest electronic media content market in Africa, had no content market to cater for the ever-growing electronic media content industry.
The minister, who was represented by the Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Lekan Fadolapo, said that NEMCEA had come to fill the vaccum of creating market for content in Nigeria.
This is the vaccum NEMCEA 2022 is here to fill. In a country of over 150 television channels, both public and private, and more than 350 independent television and media content production organisations and content streaming platform like Netflix, show max, iroko etc.
“It is high time we that are in the industry organised electronic media content market to serve as a market place for trading of media content and development of co-production partnership locally and internationally.
“NEMCEA is designed to promote the development of trade in Nigeria electronic media content industry. It is also to explore the Nigeria television and media content product amongst the local and the international market.
“You will agree with me that this project will in no small measure contribute to the growth of the Nigeria local media content and the economy in general,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, said NEMCEA 2022 was an important event that would bring together stakeholders in the electronic media content and field investment to interact and share ideas.
Omo-Agege, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Otivere Igbuzor, said it was also an occasion to celebrate and recognise deserving stakeholders, while he congratulated the awardees.
“I am likely informed that this is the biggest event in the electronic media contest and field industry which is expected to hold yearly to bring stakeholders globally in the media industry to buy, sell, collaborate and exchange ideas around content.
“I commend the Electronic Media Content Association of Nigeria for this initiative.
Nigeria is no doubt a clear leader in role content production in Africa.
“Nollywood, Hiphop, Afrobeat and the comedians are testifying to this but we are not doing enough to monetise them either through production, distribution or royalty collection,” he said.
He further assured that the National Assembly was committed to making laws that would encourage private enterprises in the creative industry turn it into a creative economy.
The President of EMCOAN, Mrs Jibe Ologeh, in her opening remarks, said NEMCEA would bring together global stakeholders in the media industry within and outside Nigeria to buy, sell, collaborate and exchange ideas on content.
Ologeh said NEMCEA would also bring to fore, issues and perspectives bordering on the media industry in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
“It is noteworthy that despite being the biggest content generation hub of Africa, Nigeria has no content market to cater for its ever-growing electronic media content and film industry.
“This is the vacuum NEMCEA is here to fill. Being an annual event, it will serve as a market place for the trading of media content, film and development of co-production partnerships locally and internationally,” she said.
Ologeh hinted that the event had a special workshop by the NBC geared toward the production of Nigerian children’s broadcast content that would redirect the psyche of the Nigerian child to love the country.
Mr Bemjamin Pius, Chief Executive Officer, Broadcast Media Africa, said it was a challenging experience but the organisation honoured the partnership as it had worked on similar projects with several stakeholders in other climes.
“As a matter of fact, we have been operating, putting together events and broadcasting events in media market places in Africa, Middle East and Europe.
“So, I said to myself, if we can do it elsewhere, how come we can not do it in Nigeria which is the largest electronic content market place in Africa.
“We can support the content distribution and monetisation in Nigeria so that the market place in Nigeria can be a calendar event where we can look at the audience in few years time and see more of international delegation,” he said.
NEMCEA Project Director, Mr Theophilus Akatugba, said the event would also launch a special initiative named “Barter Village” where content could be exchanged with content without money.
“We created the Barter Village as a platform where TV channels meet to exchange content for content without exchanging money.
“This special initiative and unique feature of NEMCEA is a market that will signal the beginning of redirecting the flow of business so that those who bring content in and those that want to take will know that this is business,” he said.
Akatugba said TV channels in different states exchanging relevant local contents without money would help content travel round and enrich their libraries.
In his remarks, the Director-General, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Malam Balarabe Ilelah, commended EMCOAN and its partnership with Broadcast Media Africa for the initiative.
He said the partnership would identify and fill a gap in the industry while creating a platform for exchanging ideas, recognising change makers and promoting creativity.
“To ensure there is a diverse range of content available in the market, there needs to be support and engagement between producers and distributors.
“The importance of content cannot be overemphasised because audiences are engaged by content, brand images and reputations are built based on content generated or the content made available.
“The existence of content guided by different strategies across various platforms beyond linear broadcast systems has implications for the way content is produced, sourced and organised.
“Therefore, placing the audience at the heart of content creation, production and distribution becomes a necessity in order to connect with them in the wave of changing technology and media consumption,” he said.
Ilelah added that limited involvement in children’s content by commercial platforms would rob children of the opportunity to be educated and entertained.
“This will further diminish the diversity of content available for children and devastate the local production industry for children’s content.
“It is our hope that the Nigerian Electronic Media Content Exhibition and Awards will mark a significant step in the right direction for the broadcast industry as we explore the content market along with the other array of activities put together,” he said.
Heads of agencies present at the event were Mr Buki Ponle, the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN); Acting DG Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and the Executive Director, NFVCB, Mr Adedayo Thomas.
