WAY FORWARD The way forward 1. What were the developments in the media environment in the last three/four years? Positive - After many years of advocacy, the Nigerian Government finally issued 17 community radio licences, distributed in all the geopolitical zones of the country. One has already started broadcasting and the rest are expected to become operational in 2016. Authorities plan to deliver more licences after the experimentation phase. - A major development in the media landscape has been the “explosion” of social media and online journalism. More than 70 percent of Nigeria’s population is younger than 30 years old and this demographic has encouraged new media. In addition to news site and blogs, the number of internet radios is on the rise. While all of this is a positive development, it has also come with many challenges for the industry. “Everyone is now a journalist.” - Nigerians elected a new Administration in 2015. It was the first peaceful transfer of power through an election from a ruling party to an opposition party. This change is likely to have implications on the media. During election campaigns, politicians openly discussed the issue of journalists’ welfare and the need for self-regulation. Negative - Nigeria missed the deadline for the migration of broadcast transmission from analogue to digital. A new deadline has now been set for 2017, but many suspect it will be missed again because problems of coordination and transparency still persist. 56 - The passing of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act in 2015 seems to have taken freedom of expression a step backward. After only a few months of the existence of the Law, at least three people have been jailed for things they said or did online. - Radio Biafra began broadcasting in 2015, raising questions about compliance with licensing procedures and the ability of the system to regulate broadcasting. Authorities have been unable to use the law to stop the station, which serves a secessionist cause. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2015