Media: Is Bola Tinubu The Biggest Media Entrepreneur in Nigeria? - 2008-05-19

Media business in Nigeria has been dominated by politicians and their allies either by way of major equity holdings or total ownership. As against the global trend, where renowned business men and women own media outfits, the Nigerian media market is yielding to the dominance of the political class, reports Goddie Ofose.

In general, the term “media” refers to the various means of communication. For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are different types of the media. The term can also be used as a collective noun for the press or news reporting agencies. In the computer world, "media" is also used as a collective noun, but here, it refers to different types of data storage options.

Taking the new and information angle, the media and its practitioners are referred to as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. This suggests that in a typical democracy, where the rule of law is observed, the press is independent.

Therefore, following the principle of having the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary, all forming the recognized organs of government, the media by default, serves as watchdog on the government and the society.

The media has the power to influence opinions and decisions through reports and editorials, particularly in a democratic setting.

Many organizations, including global media organisations, are set up to buoy the agenda of the investors rather than achieving the objective of the media which is the dissemination of information objectively and educating the masses.

This is because, media business is a capital intensive one; it is the type of establishment that demands a huge sum of fund to kick start if the player must create an instant impact in the market.

This explains why Ted Turner, founder of Cable News Network (CNN) in the late 1960s, left Turner Communications, which was a business of billboards and radio stations, to purchase a UHF-TV station that came up for sale in Atlanta.

Turner said the television station was losing $50,000 a month and its programs were viewed by fewer than five percent of the market. “When I moved to buy a second station in Charlotte-this one was worse than the first-my accountant quit in protest, and the company's board vetoed the deal. So I mortgaged my house and bought it myself. The Atlanta purchase turned into the Superstation; the Charlotte purchase-when I sold it 10 years later-gave me the capital to launch CNN” explains the media mogul.

Both purchases played a role in revolutionizing television business worldwide. Both required a streak of independence and a taste for risk as displayed by Mr. Turner.

While Mr. Turner and his colleagues may not be in partisan politics, their political sympathy at times becomes obvious in the organisation’s coverage and reports. However, suffice it to say that ownerships are largely devoid of politics.

In the Nigerian current investment climate, independent media organizations simply do not thrive for a long time except there are some “money” bags behind such. The Source magazine, Galaxy TV and a plethora of struggling stations are cases in point. This, according to experts, is partly due to the colossal amount of fund needed to be injected into the business on a continuous basis for it to survive.

Though, these “independent” investors also have their own ideological slant political wise, the media role of setting agenda for the court of public opinion makes its more attractive to the political class who could shoulder the needed huge fund to place organization on the path of instant success and clout. The political class finds investing in media business or being aligned to a media concern- an indispensable fact of controlling people’s political learning says Razark Olaegbe, a Media/PR practitioner.

Apart from the defunct Daily Times, New Nigerian, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) that belong to government, other prints, radio and televisions outfits are own largely by individuals or group of individuals. This falls in line with the popular mantra which has it that “who has or controls information has power”. Politicians, therefore, see having more than a passing interest in the media as a sine-qua-none for influencing and eventually controlling power.

This trend is not a current phenomenon in Nigeria. The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s Tribune and Defunct Sketch Newspaper, MKO Abiola’s Concord were at first some sort of political instruments. 

Outside Thisday, Punch, The Guardian and Vanguard and their broadcast partners like Ray Power, MITV and Siverbird and others which carry the banner of “independent”, others are heavily invested in by the political class. This is aimed at deploying the platform to further fan the embers of their political aspirations.

In as much as the media is a challenging business, it is also a potential money spinner. Many have come but could not withstand the harsh economic environment militating against the business operation in Nigeria. So, they folded up and their owners looked elsewhere.

Unlike the Turners and Murdochs of this world that ventured into the media business for purely economic reasons, plenty of the Nigerian media owners set up theirs for political motive being the primary while the media functions of education, information and entertainment play a secondary role.

Be that as it may, all still fight the economic wars of surviving as an enterprise. Therefore, Media entrepreneurs cannot be mentioned without names like Nduka Obaigbena, Thisday Group; Mr. Nosa Igeibor, Tell Group, Chief Emmanuel Inwanyawu, Champion Newspaper Mr. Alex Ibru and Mr. Pemu Amuka, Vanguard Media in the print while Chief Raymond Dokpesi, founder of DAAR Communications; Mr. Ben Bruce of Silverbird Group; Mr. John Momoh of Channels, Larry Izamoje of Brilla FM, Alhaji Murhi, of Murhi Group, an Egyptian born Amin Musali of Aim Consultants owners of Cool FM would remain a constant reference point in the media business in Nigeria.

Scores and Scores of the  Publications

According to Kola Odusanya, Head, Media, Blue Bird Communications, there are well over 80 TV stations, 100 Radio Stations and over 50 newspapers and magazine titles in the country. This includes dailies, weeklies and periodicals. Some of these include Daily Times, The Guardian, National Concord, Vanguard, The Punch, Daily Champion, This Day, Daily Independent while scores of electronic outfits (television and radio) owned by individuals or group of individuals are scattered around the entire country.

The old Horses

The history of media ownership can not be written without mentioning people such as Late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Late Chief Olu Aboderin, Mr. Alex Ibru, Late Chief MKO Abiola, Chief Emmanel Inwayanwu and Uncle Sam Pemu Amuka. These media entrepreneurs invested heavily in print which saw the survival of such titles as The Punch, Tribune, Champion, The Guardian, and Vanguard while the like of Concord could not outlive its financier.

Today, some of these titles still denominate the print sector in spite of the entry of new publications from young but vibrant entrepreneurs and practitioners.

The New Investors

Unlike the trend in developed countries like the US , the UK , France and Germany where entrepreneurs own media titles and TV and Radio stations, politicians are fast emerging the new media entrepreneurs in the country.

According to M2 investigations, new media owners include Chief James Ibori, ex-governor of Delta State,- Daily Independent ; Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, ex-governor Abia State owns- The Sun Pubications; while Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ex-governor of Lagos State, owns multiple of media organizations cutting across the entire gamut of print, TV and radio with The Nation, Go Tell and Unity FM respectively in his conglomerate of businesses. Otunba Gbenga Daniel, second term incumbent Governor of Ogun State also has the Westerner and Compass, to his credit.

This class of political media moguls are closely followed by the religious class as represented by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, Presiding Pastor, Christ Embassy. The Pastor has suddenly developed an unquenchable love for media business. His group’s media investment in MBI, Super screen TV a bi weekly magazine and a weekly newspaper title National Daily is worth over N5 billion.

Who is the Biggest Media Baron?

Ranking global media moguls, Ted Turner of CNN is reputed to be the biggest media entrepreneur in the world. Who is Nigeria’s Ted Turner? This is the question. In a bid to fathom this, experts have deferred in their opinion on who actually is the biggest media mogul in Nigeria .

Mr. Ted Iwere, Managing Director of Daily Independent, says there is no data to support such claim if at all anyone would like to claim such position. “I wouldn't know the biggest media entrepreneur in Nigeria since such report is not available at least to my knowledge,” he stated.

However, findings show that the likes of Musali Amin of Aim Consultant with two radio stations to his credit i.e. Cool FM in Lagos and Abuja and Wazobia FM in Lagos, cannot be disregarded. Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who revamped the ailing MBI and SuperScreen TV with sole interest in National Daily Newspaper and a magazine to his credit, stands tall in the contest.

Chief Raymond Dokpesi of DAAR communications, is a strong contender for the position but industry watchers say his interest is largely electronics, though he has just acquired the licence to operate a national network which is a food for thought for NTA lackluster operations.

The likes of Dr. Orji Kalu, Chief James Ibori and Otunba Gbenga Daniel have also tried to create momentum with their titles such as The Sun, Daily Independent and The Westerner/ Compass. However, they are largely on print models. Mr. John Momoh and Mr. Ben Bruce can't be ignored either due to the fact that their stations, Channels, Silverbird (TV) and Rhythms FM (radio), are enjoying considerable spread. These two media tycoons seem to have no penchant for print at all, however industry watchers have said their chances of becoming the biggest media moguls is not unlikely, if they can cast their net wider and stronger.

Where is the Duke on this list?