Milestone in Nigeria Communications Sector

Communication Crossword

Communication as it is generally known, is an act of disseminating information to people directly or indirectly. In the light of this, the communication world has greatly metamorphosed from the usual traditional method to more sophisticated and effective methods.

There are different means of communication; word of mouth, gesture, signs, symbols and mass media. Whichever means is used, the essence of it is understanding and feedback.  

In time past, media relation was achieved through the use of a town crier who sounds the gong round the local community to get attention and thereafter, pass his message across. From this crude method, media relations has grown in such a way that Nigeria is regarded as the most                   diversified media in Africa.  

As mass media (Nigeria press) is advancing, the print media is the pioneer of media relations in Nigeria with over 400 newspaper and magazine titles in the market.

The press is mainly privately owned, while the electronic media has both Government and private sector ownership. There are about 10 influential publications controlling almost 90% of the market. 

The waves for other media channels opened when Nigeria made history in the ’50’s as the first African country to open a TV station.  Hence, there are over 500 TV and radio stations nationwide having Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) as the largest TV network in Africa.

The radio is the most popular medium to reach the mass market and in 1932, the first radio signals were received in Nigeria from BBC, England using Radio Distribution Service (RDS).

One very important tool of communication is journalism, which cuts across news paper writing and reporting via electronic media as well as the new media (internet). The practice of journalism used to be restricted to those trained in the profession but the advent of new media has made the profession a practice for all.

Media communications has become very competitive with the advent of the new media such that most major Nigerian media both print and electronic also broadcast or publish online in real time.

Communication and technological advancement are twin that work hand in hand making the world a global village. With the help of communication technology, a click puts various information at your finger tips.