Lekan Otufodunrin highlights some major impacts of the support by the Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (NAMIP) for seven media organisations in Nigeria in the Case Studies report launched recently.
Despite being one of Nigeria’s leading media outlets, BusinessDay, like many other media companies in the country, has been battling to refine its digital strategy, engage audiences more effectively, and diversify its revenue streams to secure long-term sustainability.
Following the support it received from the Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (NAMIP), including starting a series of transformative initiatives, BusinessDay has recorded some significant results and impact contained in the Case Studies report showcasing groundbreaking innovations by some platforms in the Nigerian media industry.
” The impact of these efforts has been transformative. Revenue from Google AdSense surged by 30%, a testament to the effectiveness of the new advertising model. The Policy Dialogue Series became a cornerstone of BusinessDay’s engagement strategy, drawing over 60 policymakers and business leaders to each event and expanding their reach via platforms like Twitter Spaces. The organisation also produced 11 comprehensive policy reports, solidifying its reputation as a thought leader in business journalism.
“Operationally, the addition of skilled personnel bolstered BusinessDay’s capacity to deliver high-quality content and engage with audiences across multiple platforms. The enhanced digital presence not only attracted new readers but also deepened connections with existing audiences,” the report stated.
BusinessDay is one of the seven media organisations whose strategies for overcoming challenges and driving sustainable growth since the program’s inception in February 2022 were spotlighted in the Case Studies recently launched on a X Space event.
Other companies whose experiences are contained in the Case Studies are Prime Progress, TV 360 Nigeria, Lavum Community Radio, The Republic, Dataphyte, and With Chude.
Under a three-year programme funded by the MacArthur Foundation, 26 media organisations from early-stage outlets to established organisations, have been supported to increase
revenues, test new business models and instill financial discipline through financial, strategic, and technical support.
More than providing funds, NAMIP, under the leadership of the Programme Manager, Adedeji Adekunle, has in the last three years provided a combination of grants, coaching, and tailored technical assistance to increase the capacity of independent media, providing them with the tools they need to develop and continuously revise their models on the path to sustainability.
For Prime Progress based in Abuja, its most significant changes under the programme according to the report have been its organizational growth with the platform expanding to an eight-person full-time team, creating a diverse workforce that includes Gen Zs, women, and voices from across Nigeria.
“This diversity has enriched its storytelling and expanded its coverage. Securing a physical office space further helped solidify operations, allowing the team to collaborate more efficiently. The platform then embarked on bold product innovations. Spotlight, Prime Progress’ flagship product, became a revenue driver by monetizing the by-products of solutions journalism. By partnering with organizations like New Incentives and others, Prime Progress secured funding to document impactful stories, creating a model for sustainable storytelling.
“Since joining NAMIP, Prime Progress has diversified its revenue streams, raising an additional $30,000 (₦43,950,000 at $1 = ₦1,465) in non-grant revenue through sponsorships, advertisements, and donations, while also pioneering a model that secures funding directly from organizations whose impactful stories it tells,” the case studies report stated.
When TV360 was signed on by NAMIP, its two major challenges were a significant dip in YouTube performance due to platform suspensions and inconsistent viewership, and the daunting need to transition to a 24-hour cable broadcast model which have now been addressed according to the report.
“Under Coach’s guidance, the YouTube channel’s approach to content optimization underwent a significant change. Playlists were restructured, video descriptions refined, and trending topics like the #EndBadGovernance protest became central to their strategy. This approach not only brought relevance back to the channel but also made it more engaging for its audience.”
ICT Manager Herman Everett confirmed that “When [our Coach] came on board, he ensured success on YouTube and TikTok,” Within two months, subscriber numbers surged past 190,000, with viral videos garnering over 500,000 views. YouTube revenue that was previously suspended, was resumed, crossing $4,000 (₦5,860,000 at $1 = ₦1,465) in the same two-month timeframe. TV360 also made its debut on TikTok, quickly amassing 850 followers and generating over 15,000 views. Instagram saw consistent growth, complementing its digital resurgence.
With the benefit of NAMIP’s capacity support, Lavum Community Radio in Kutigi, Niger state which had been battling with the absence of diversified revenue sources and limited operational capacity has been able to focus on building staff capacity, enhancing content, engaging audiences, with the goal ensuring financial sustainability.
“The results of these efforts were transformative. By the end of 2023, Lavun Radio’s annual revenue had grown by over 250% from N1.2 million in 2022 to a modest but transformative N4.2 million in 2023 with an additional 33% increase by mid-2024. The station gained an average of over 750,000 new listeners, growing its listenership from 2.2milion in 2022 to over 3 million, with new live radio programs such as skill acquisition lessons for women, educational quizzes, and debates for students as well as Jolly Phoenix for pre-school students.”
Despite its success story of offering incisive analysis, long-form essays, and thought-provoking reportage on politics, culture, and science, The Republic (TR) realized it needed a better grasp of its audience and clearer pathways to revenue generation when it joined the NAMIP’s cohort.
“Data existed at various points in their operations, but there was no streamlined system to track or utilize it effectively. Recognizing the importance of becoming a data-led organization, NAMIP provided TR with a grant to execute several audience reach and capacity-building exercises in addition to significant operational changes. Over the next 12 months, TR aimed to bolster its capacity for audience research, optimize its revenue funnels, and set the stage for sustainable growth.”
Financially, the impact of NAMIP’s support according to the report has been encouraging with TR’s direct revenue (excluding grants) between February and November 2024 growing by 23% compared to 2022 and by 297% compared to 2021.
“This represented a solid start toward achieving its ambitious goal of a 20% subscription increase and a significant boost in advertising revenue by the end of 2024. Operationally, TR was evolving. The coaching guidance helped the team identify skill gaps and prioritize critical hires in areas like business development and audience management. The foundational work done in these sessions continued to inform the team’s priorities.”
Joy’s #WithChude and Dataphyte case studies reports indicate that leveraging technology has been key to navigating the competitive media landscape while staying true to their missions. Their journeys, with NAMIP’s support, revealed how innovative platforms and strategic interventions can optimize revenue, improve operations, and unlock growth.
The launch of WithChude.com solved the problem of limited revenue from YouTube monetization and the lack of centralized content management that created inefficiencies in user engagement with the website consolidating all of #WithChude’s offerings—videos, podcasts, blogs, merchandise, and events—into a unified, user-friendly platform.
“By October 2024, digital revenue accounted for 20.5% of total income, up from 17.8% in December 2023. Paid subscriptions increased by 5%, and social media platforms like TikTok saw an average monthly growth of 3%. NAMIP’s support in hiring a Growth Lead and Community Manager further enhanced #WithChude’s capacity to engage users and execute targeted campaigns. “
What Dataphyte succeeded in doing with NAMIP’s support was turning its data expertise into a marketable product beyond the storytelling that it had been known for.
“The result was Goloka, an AI-powered tool launched in 2022 to provide hyperlocal data and actionable insights for businesses, NGOs, and government agencies. Goloka’s impact has been profound. With over 1,500 contributors and partnerships in mining, agriculture, and governance, the platform generated $50,000 in revenue within its first two years. The wallet system streamlined payments for contributors, while AI-driven survey tools allowed clients to gather insights more efficiently.”
The case studies report also contained lessons in growth, learning lessons, road ahead, lessons for the media landscape, lessons from hard-won-success, and Lessons in Technology-Driven-Transformation among other insights media owners in the country can learn from and adapt to enhance their operations.
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