The Nigerian Media Innovation Program (NAMIP) launched its case studies on February 11, 2025, showcasing how participants have tackled challenges and achieved sustainable growth since the program began in February 2022. To mark the launch, NAMIP hosted an X (fka Twitter) Spaces event, bringing together media leaders and key stakeholders in the Nigerian media ecosystem. The discussion highlighted the solutions implemented by six participating organizations, aligning with NAMIP’s core objectives.
- Digital Native Products: Leveraging technology to improve news collection, reporting, and distribution.
- New Revenue Opportunities: Developing innovative income streams for financial independence.
- Innovation in Distribution: Redefining how news reaches audiences to reduce costs and expand reach.
- Supporting Underserved Languages: Amplifying voices in vernacular languages to reach underrepresented communities.
- Reaching Rural Communities: Delivering information to underserved audiences beyond urban centers.
- Transitioning to Digital: Assisting legacy media in adopting digital-first approaches for growth and sustainability.
What They Had to Say
The six NAMIP participants who participated in the event were Dataphyte, The Republic, WithChude, Lavun Community Radio, TV360 Nigeria, and Prime Progress. The case studies highlighted the growth of these six organizations and BussinessDay. The participating organizations shared how NAMIP’s intervention enabled them to experiment with new media products, diversify their revenue streams, and improve their operational efficiencies.
Wale Lawal, Founder and CEO of The Republic, highlighted how NAMIP contributed to the improvement of their newsletter product, while helping diversify their revenue streams through subscriptions, professional services, e-commerce, partnerships, and sponsorships.
Jousha Olufemi, the CEO of Dataphyte, emphasized that NAMIP enabled them to launch the Goloka 2.0 product while strengthening their operations. Dorcas Taiwo, Product Lead at WithChude, shared insights into how NAMIP helped enhance their media product as part of a broader effort to engage with their audience and deliver content that meets their needs.
Mustapha Ahmed, the Production Lead at Lavun Community Radio, and Herman Everett, the IT Lead at TV360 Nigeria, shared valuable insights regarding the significant role NAMIP has played in reaching new audiences. They highlighted the impact of capacity building, the enhancement of digital journalism, and improvements in overall content production.
Innocent Eteng, the Editor-in-Chief at Prime Progress, also spoke about how NAMIP’s interventions, such as capacity building and networking opportunities with international organizations, have transformed their perspective on how to monetize the important work they do as journalists. Thanks to NAMIP’s support, Prime Progress has been able to reduce its grant dependency by 40% and establish new revenue streams. They have also focused on developing products like Spotlight Plus to share solutions journalism stories and organized events like Prime Women, with an emphasis on user-generated revenue.
Additional participants at the X Spaces event included former NAMIP coaches, Nonso Jideofor, a design researcher, and Chiedozie Ike, a media marketing specialist as they shared their perspectives on working with various media organizations.
Nonso emphasized that coaching is not solely about transferring knowledge; rather, it involves providing support through active listening and reflection, helping individuals think clearly about how to achieve their goals and objectives. He observed that media organizations in Nigeria are shifting their mindset by experimenting and developing viable media products while consistently focusing on return on investment.
Chiedozie echoed this mindset shift, noting that media organizations are increasingly productizing their work. Coming from the Fin-Tech sector, he shared insights into how his experiences with media organizations have helped organizations understand the importance of utilizing user data to personalize audience interactions and make informed business decisions.
Program Highlights
Since its launch in February 2022, NAMIP has significantly impacted its cohort. Pre-startup organizations have experienced a remarkable increase in revenue, with their combined earnings rising from under $13,000 to over $114,000 annually. They have also seen substantial growth in audience engagement, as website traffic increased from fewer than 200,000 to over 1 million unique visitors. Mid-level organizations reported a 43% rise in their audience reach.
Start-up and mid-level organizations have also seen sustained revenue growth, with the former increasing their revenue from $46,000 to over $79,000, while the latter reported annual revenues exceeding $1 million.
Click Here to Download NAMIP’s 3 Year Impact Report
Additionally, over $1 million has been invested in business development, along with $400,036 in technical assistance and coaching provided to 26 organizations. These efforts have been complemented by tailored interventions that strengthened business models, optimized operations, and enhanced community engagement, enabling organizations to thrive in a challenging media landscape.
Read the Reports & Listen to the Conversation
The case studies, along with a comprehensive NAMIP Impact Brochure summarizing the program’s achievements since February 2022, are available for download here. You can also listen to the full X-Space conversation here.