Lagos, Nigeria – October 25, 2023
By Boluwade Anifowose
Media professionals, journalists, and bloggers gathered at the Ibis Hotel in Lagos for a one-day media roundtable discussion hosted by GreenReach Global Consulting, a media management consulting agency representing DW’s Distribution Africa in Nigeria. The event aimed to explore the expectations of Nigeria’s media consumers regarding foreign news content.
This roundtable brought together various media platforms, including Ray Power FM, Africa Check, Afrian Youth Platform,Yabatech Radio, Peoples Gazette, the Nation newspaper, Round-Up Check, and Guardians Digital TV, among others.
The discussion was hosted by Mr. Olayiwola Olakanmi, CEO of GreenReach Global Consulting, Mr. Allwell Okpi, Research and Community Manager of Africa Check and Mrs ibiyemiOlufowobi Network Operations Radio at Raypower. The event commenced with a critical question posed by Mr. Olayiwola: “What are the Expectations of Nigeria’s media consumers of foreign news contents?” Mr. Allwell rephrased the question for clarity and deeper exploration.
A prevailing sentiment among the journalists present was that Africa is often underreported by foreign media outlets. The foreign press was criticized for not portraying Nigerian news effectively and, in many cases, negatively. Nigerian journalists expressed concerns about the misrepresentation of their country.
Mrs. Ibiyemi Olufowobi of Ray Power FM introduced a different perspective to the discussion, stating, “we have too many expectations from foreign media.” She emphasized that every media organization has an agenda that influences its reportage. Mrs. Olufowobi also highlighted that foreign press often gather information in Nigeria, but Nigerian representatives guide them, sometimes to less favorable locations. As a result, negative portrayals may emerge. She urged Nigerian journalists to take responsibility for their roles and questioned whether they were fulfilling their duties effectively.
Boluwade Anifowose of the African Youth Platform emphasized the lack of security for journalists in Nigeria. Pursuing certain stories can be life-threatening, a sentiment echoed by other journalists at the table. Mrs. Olufowobi responded by stating that Nigerian journalists sometimes appear combative in their reporting, which could be perceived as a threat. She suggested that journalists could present a balanced, humanized report while still conveying their intended message.
The discussion concluded with a metaphor that journalists are the “neck” in the relationship between government and foreign press, who represent the “head.” As the “neck,” Nigerian journalists play a pivotal role in determining which direction the “head” faces and what it sees. Participants also urged foreign press to provide more accurate and balanced reports when covering another country, regardless of their interests.
Mr. Olayiwola Olakanmi, in his concluding remarks, outlined German New Service (GNS)‘s expectations from the beneficiaries of the media roundtable. He urged journalists to utilize the resources available on their websites and subscribe to the GNS Newsletter, “by so doing, they can access the most significant and up-to-date news from Germany and around the globe, enhancing their ability to provide well-informed, well-rounded content to Nigeria’s media consumers”, he said.
