The Nigerian media sector is experiencing rapid growth and facing strong competition as it continues to evolve. P+ Measurement Services, a leading media intelligence consultancy, analyzed the top media performers in the Nigerian subscription-based streaming services, telecommunications, and insurance sectors for the second quarter of 2023. This analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of each industry’s media share, considering the advancements in subscription-based streaming services, the telecommunications sector’s expansion, and the insurance sector’s consistent performance. The media analysis monitors over 1.3 million online publications in the local and global media space, including blogs, news sites, forums, and digital media, as well as approximately 1,380 print publications (including daily, weekly, and monthly publications), from which various meta-data were harvested.

In the Nigerian subscription-based streaming industry, Netflix Nigeria emerged as the top performer, out of the five brands monitored, capturing a significant media share of 47%, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Showmax Nigeria with 29% and 24% respectively.

The Nigerian telecommunications industry saw a competitive landscape with several key players. The top media performers, out of the five brands monitored, in terms of media share: MTN Nigeria and Airtel tied for the top position, each capturing 30% of the media share. Globacom secured 25% and 9Mobile 15%.

Out of the ten leading insurance brands monitored, five insurance companies stood out as top media performers, with Leadway Assurance maintaining its position as the top performer in Q2, capturing 39% of the media share. Coming in second was AIICO Insurance with 19%, AXA Mansard Insurance ranked third with 18%, NEM Insurance came in fourth with 15% and Mutual Benefits Assurance with 9%.



Analysis of Top Reputational Drivers in Q2, 2023

During the second quarter, noteworthy media drivers in the subscription-based streaming services sector in Nigeria included Netflix Nigeria’s innovative approach of reimagining folktales with African filmmakers, transforming them into dark fantasy dramas. Amazon Prime Video achieved a significant milestone for the brand with Jade Osiberu’s ‘Gangs of Lagos’ setting a new record. Additionally, Showmax Nigeria collaborated with Upbeat to host a special screening party for children on Children’s Day, where they had the opportunity to hang out with Jay Jay Okocha.

The Nigerian telecommunications industry witnessed several significant PR drivers during the period. One noteworthy development was MTN Nigeria’s securing approval from the Nigerian Communications Commission to lease NTEL’s spectrum, which greatly influenced the industry. Airtel Nigeria experienced a boost in its brand recognition and reputation following the appointment of Carl Cruz as MD/CEO. Similarly, Globacom garnered attention and media coverage as Chief Executive Officer Mike Adenuga celebrated his 70th birthday. Furthermore, 9Mobile made headlines with its announcement of a substantial N70 billion investment in network modernization, driving its presence and impact in the market.

Leadway Assurance garnered significant attention by achieving a groundbreaking milestone as the first insurer to surpass N100 billion in premium income within the insurance sector. In a notable display of Corporate Social Responsibility, AIICO Insurance directed its investments toward the healthcare industry. AXA Mansard Insurance experienced remarkable growth of 13% in revenue during the first quarter, contributing to an increased level of media engagement for the brand. NEM Insurance demonstrated its commitment to policyholders by disbursing a substantial sum of N12.3 billion in claims during the 2022 financial year. Additionally, Mutual Benefits Assurance witnessed Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, the chairman, offering valuable insights to the younger generation about the significance of making favorable first impressions during the launch of his book.

With barely a week to the commencement of political campaigns for the 2023 General elections, the National Assembly has called on political actors and the media to shun campaigns of calumny and focus on issues of socio-economic growth and development.

This was as the National Assembly vowed to resist political actors with penchant for political campaigns aimed at exploring the fault lines of ethnicity, religion and other mundane factors to further divide the country and advance their own political agenda.

President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan stated this when he officially declared opened a high-level forum tagged “Political Communication and Issue-based campaign in the 2023 General elections” held in Abuja on Monday.

The event was organized by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies(NILDS) in collaboration with the Kukah Centre for Peace and the National Peace Committee(NPC).

Addressing the gathering, Lawan decried the dangerous, delicate and divisive manner political campaigns have taken in Nigeria in the past; a trend he said was beginning to rear its ugly head in the current dispensation especially with the advent of social media.

He enjoined political actors and the media to make their political campaigns more issue oriented and ensure they focuse on insecurity, the economics of lower rising inflation and managing Nigeria’s diversities and not the mundane issues of attacking the personalities, health status, religion and tribal affinities of opposing candidates.

Lawan said there was no way the National Assembly will allow these divisive tendencies to go unchecked.

“We cannot continue with it and allow it to go on as business as usual. Our political campaigns must begin to focus on issues and shun violence, hate speeches and other divisive tendencies”.

The President of the Senate however noted that the only way the conversation meaningful will be for stakeholders to at the end of the event reach a consensus that will produce a guideline on the appropriate slants political campaigns should take in Nigeria.

Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila shared strongly in Lawan’s sentiments when he advised those seeking elective positions in the country to do so based on their score cards and pedigree rather than engaging in sneer political campaigns that will never give room for consensus building.

The Lagos State born lawmaker noted that even though the Electoral Act, 2022 prohibited the use of places of worship and divisive campaigns; it was regrettable that some political actors have continued to breach the provisions of the law; resorting to the lowest dehumanizing tactics and abusive languages in order to sway votes for themselves at the polls.

This he said must stop even as he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to wield the big stick on offenders.

Both Lawan and Gbajabiamila belong to the stock of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) whose choice of two Muslims as Presidential candidate and the running mate has been subject of intense political debate in a highly religious sensitive country.

The health status of the Presidential candidate of APC, Bola Ahmad Tinubu has also been a raging topic in the run up to elections.

Lawan and Gbajabiamila do not think the issue of religion or the health status of the party’s candidate should not be elevated above concrete issues of welfare, economy and security.

Earlier in his welcome address, Director General, (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman said the conversation around issue based political campaigns ahead of elections next year has become necessary in an era of deliberate falsehood; stressing that a lack of such honest discourse have often helped to derail attention from the germaine issues of development confronting the people.

The event drew other guest speakers including Co-sponsors from the Kukah Centre, and the National Centre for Peace, Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah,
the Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council who doubles as the Presidential Candidate of Action Democratic Party(ADP ), Yabagi Sani and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed who was ably represented.

Not for Profit Organisations, media professional bodies, broadcast stations and marketing communications firms including Suicide Is No Solution (SINS), Asido Foundation, Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), Lagos Online Media Publishers Association (LASOMP), Spirit of Nigeria Radio, Life Radio, Jordan FM, Tall and Wide Company and Strycaz Consulting are geared for a special webinar to commemorate the 2021 World Suicide Prevention Day.

This was disclosed in a statement by Toye Arulogun, Project Director of Suicide Is No Solution, the coordinating arm of the initiative. The statement revealed that the webinar with the theme: Suicide Reporting: The Social Responsibility Imperative will hold on Friday 10th September 2021 at 6:00pm with the key objective of enlightening Nigerian media practitioners and the nation’s media space at large to the best practices of reporting this public mental issue.

According to Arulogun “ With Nigeria’s increasing and alarming rate of deaths by suicide which is ranked the highest in West Africa, 5th in Africa and 15th in the world according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), responsible media reportage of suicide incidents has become imperative. This is because studies have shown that communication plays a very important role in societal behavioural patterns and trends while media reportage on mental health and suicide cases influence behaviour negatively by contributing to contagion, or positively by encouraging help-seeking”

Speakers at the webinar are Prof. Moses Audu, Consultant Psychiatrist, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Jibril Abdulmalik, Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder, ASIDO Foundation, Mr Odita Sunday, President, Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria, Mrs Jadesola Ajibola, Chairperson, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Mr Folajaiye Kareem, Clinical Psychologists and Director of Interventions, ASIDO Foundation and Mr Lateef Owodunni, Publisher Gist Island News and Treasurer, Lagos Online Media Publishers Association.

The webinar is expected to redirect narratives on suicide reporting in the Nigerian media space with a view to establishing a new regime of responsible suicide reporting devoid of sensationalism, depiction or description of suicide methods or sharing content of suicide notes.