ActionAid Nigeria has asked the Federal Government to consider a single digit loan support for media organisations in the country in order to survive the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The call was contained in the report of a research, titled: “The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Nigeria media operations and survival,” conducted by Isine Ibanga.
The research, which was commissioned by ActionAid Nigeria, was presented to the public in Abuja during a national media roundtable organised by ActionAid Nigeria in commemoration of 2020 World Press Freedom Day.
The research was commissioned following reports of financial crisis rocking the Nigeria media industry.
Part of the report read: “The Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, should create a single digit loan package to support media organisations in the country.
“There is need for government to lower tariffs on media consumables which are largely imported, grant tax holiday, and above all, build a solid economy that guarantees growth and investment.”
The report also highlighted the need for the government and entrepreneurs to invest more in information technology infrastructure that would create an enabling environment for robust media practice.
It stressed the need for media organisations to own their own means of transportation to aid the mobility of reporters in order to shield them from the risk of contracting the virus through the patronage of the public transportation system.
It added: “There is also the need to develop a new remuneration template that takes cognisance of the new skillsets and usage of specialised digital tools needed to produce and deliver content capable of attracting and sustaining public patronage.
“There is a serious need for training and retraining of journalists and media managers on the business side of their operations; that is, how to run profitably without compromising professional ethics and social responsibility.”