Don raises alarm over future of Nigerian television

A don, Professor Ayobami Ojebode, on Tuesday, said many television stations in Nigeria may be moribund as they lack what it takes to face the challenges ahead.

He said television stations that had been serving the interest of political office holders and their political parties have no place in the coming dispensation of television broadcasting.

Oyebode, said this while delivering the keynote address at a one-day colloquium to mark the 60th anniversary of television broadcasting in Africa organised by the Foundation for Ibadan Television Anniversary Celebration and the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy at the conference centre, University of Ibadan.

He said only television stations that are ready to meet the audience where they are and also invest in workers’ training and modern equipment had survival chances in the dispensation.

Speaking on the titled, ” 60 years of television in Africa: the past, the present and the future, Oyebode stated that television at inception in Nigeria was more powerful than the audience.

The language and communication arts lecturer at the University of Ibadan added that the present arrangement saw the audience being powerful than the television stations.

He, however, said in the coming dispensation content would dictate the power of television.

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He said: “This is not the time to ask if television has made African countries, especially Nigeria, greater than it was. It is, however, the time to suggest that if we want a television that will make our country greater than it is now, we must explore the television of experience, one that scrutinises the audience through large data analyses, and seeks to meet the audience where they are.

“Television stations which have become the photo albums of the state government or mouthpieces of political groups have no place in the coming dispensation.

“Stations that are unwilling to invest in workers’ training and in modern equipment also do not belong.”

The director-general of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN), Seye Oyeleye, said there was the need for the optimisation of the power of television in the interest of the region.

According to him, the contents of the Nigerian television should be re-developed, lamenting that many of the present programmes fired young Nigerians in the wrong direction.

He explained that more attention should be accorded the issues of development and education.

Oyeleye said, ” DAWN is of the opinion that more attention should be given to socialisation and political mobilisation with contents that will aid active participation of citizens on issues of governance.”