Broadcasting
Technology, Creativity Critical in Nigeria’s Entertainment Industry- Onyemelukwe
Mr. Sam Onyemelukwe the managing director, Entertainment Management Company (EMC) Nigeria & TRACE in Nigeria, has identified technology, creativity, partnerships and professionalism as obvious factors for the long term survival of the Nigerian entertainment industry.
Speaking to the press in Lagos, Onyemelukwe who comes from a creative background, having begun his career in 1995 at Walt Disney Television in Buena Vista, California in the post production department, noted that government’s part in the industry’s sustainability plan entails the provision of enabling ground, infrastructural developments and funding.
He said, “No doubt, the Nigerian entertainment industry has come of age, but we need a clearer plan for long term sustainability of the talents and investments already in place. For instance, apart from funds, the industry can thrive better when professionalism is entrenched; which will benchmark artists, producers and others in the industry. It is going to do everybody good in the industry when that happens.
“For us in TRACETV; in fact, ask the artists themselves, they will tell you that we have professionalized our processes, operating in standards that will take many of our competitors years to attain.
“That is why in the last 4 years TRACE has worked with a good number of brands like St Eve for the Summer Jam Fest with Rick Ross; Diageo (Smirnoff Industry Nite & Johnnie Walker – Black Podium); Nokia (Don’t Break the Beat); Airtel ( Airtel TRACE Music Star); OLX (OLX TV AD Campaign); Ledrop (Remy Martin ,St Remy & Jack Daniels); GD Netter – Handled Creative duties for the Henessy Artistry Campaign 2011; GSK (Ribena & Lucozade); HP Nigeria; Tecno; Etisalat; MTN; Africa’s Next Top Model; Access Bank; Pepsi –Top Ten Music Chart Show; Samsung; Glo, among others. What did we achieved with them? We worked in the capacity of Selling Sponsorships, Event Management, Production, Talent Management, Innovative Digital Media Solutions, etc”.
“Another important point as the industry climbs the ladder of progress is partnership. You will find out that people engage in unnecessarily rate cuts so as to strike a deal, but at the end, it is either they do shoddy job or pay from their pockets to execute the job. When you lower your standards, don’t expect it will get better next time.
“If we have not leaved up to expectations, we wouldn’t have executed such campaigns as: Nokia’s Don’t Break the Beat; creative duties GD Netter’s Hennessy Artistry Campaign; Airtel TRACE Music Star; Smirnoff Industry Nite; Johnnie Walker’s THE SEAT; OLX Advertising Campaign; Ledrop (Remy Martin – At the Club with Remy/Remy Gbedu Slam) and others”.
“In terms of technology and the impact on the whole thing, it is at the centre of all this. Technology galvanizes, it sets you out from others and helps the creative ability in you to be put in proper shape. We believe that the entertainment village project to be built at the National Theatre, Lagos will come on soon, because the industry needs that. Even at this time we are talking about digital broadcasting, we need such infrastructure for independent producers to leverage for quality local contents production”.
TRACE is a brand and an international media group that provides contemporary music and sports entertainment content to a large and predominantly young audience.
Its core business is original content and pay-tv channels, available in English and French, distributed in over 150 countries through 28 satellites and 200 carriage agreements.
TRACE represents the voice of the youths, playing the best of R ‘n’ B and Hip Hop videos. Since its launch in April 2003, the channel has grown to include TRACE Urban, TRACE Tropical and TRACE Sports Stars, TRACE Africa and TRACE Toca
Inspired by the vibrant music scene, the electrifying artists, great music videos and the passionate creative spirit TRACE launched in Nigeria with a view to promote African music globally under EMC Nigeria who are the Exclusive representatives for TRACE in West Africa.
EMC Nigeria is also a Media and communications outfit that provides a complete suite of services from Brand Marketing Concept Development, Talent Management to Broadcast and Event Production.
Onyemelukwe after establishing himself in the media and entertainment, had spent the next decade between the worlds of fashion and music, producing and directing numerous performances and shows as well as working in Artist and Repertoire, developing young acts.
He most recently ran MTV Base’s Nigeria business, creating and executing campaigns, including concert events and club parties and Broadcast TV Production for LG, Coca Cola, Airtel and Cadbury Buttermint.
To summarize TRACE in Nigeria, he said, “we operate as a youth and young at heart brand solutions provider. In addition to providing access to music obsessed youth through our popular leading Trace Urban TV channel, we also produce world class broadcast TV content such as Pepsi Top 10, OLX Truth Series, handle talent management, provide Media & Advertising campaign solutions, Event Production for brands in Nigeria”.
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.
Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker
Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.
He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.
“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”
According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.
He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.
Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.
He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.
Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.
“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”
He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.
According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.
He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.
Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.
He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.
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