Weak anti-trust laws have led to monopolies and concentrations in the media industry. Over the years, empires that own and run several television channels and radio stations have developed, such as Daar Communications and Steam Broadcasters. The emergence of a diverse media landscape with economically sustainable and independent outlets is further hampered by the lack of public incentives such as tax breaks and state subsidies. Gender mainstreaming is topical in Nigeria, but the media have failed to break ranks with a society that has remained vastly patriarchal. Beyond gender, Nigerian media actively reproduce the affinities, affiliations, divisions, biases and stereotypes that give the country’s politics and culture its supercharged character. More progress has been made over the years in covering a diversity of subjects, with private broadcasters delivering high quality public interest content. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been central in improving citizens access to information sources, but panellists said the policy was still patchy, lacked coherence and fell short of serving as a barrier to ICT expansion. Advertising has not been a force for the creation of a free and strong press. While the government uses its advertising power to influence editorial content, the size of the advertising market is too small to sustain the industry. Broadcasting legislation has produced a conducive environment for three-tier (public, commercial and community) broadcasting, even though panellists said the licensing processes were riddled with political interference. According to panellists, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission which regulates the sector lacks independence from government and political forces. Therefore, in the case of government-run broadcasting services which have not been converted into truly public broadcasters, (despite the strong political influence of these services) they dominate the sector and offer the widest diversity in terms of content and reach. Nigeria has one of the most vibrant journalism industries in Africa, which has produced a growing number of award-winning journalists over the past decades. Yet, panellists found more problems than praiseworthy experiences with Nigerian journalism – from the inaccuracy of news reporting to the lack of fair analysis and commentary. Several codes of ethics developed by media organisations and newsrooms are not fully implemented and corruption in the industry is rife. Part of the problem with the quality of journalism in Nigeria is low pay and poor working conditions. Trade unions and other media organisations have also not been very active in representing the interests of their members. In addition, as journalists practise under increasingly harsh conditions, self-censorship has become widespread. On a positive note, a range of universities and training opportunities are available to practising and aspiring journalists throughout Nigeria. News organisations have also become more inclusive, with more women practising and holding editorial positions and serving a wide range of interests. The panel discussion took place in Sokoto State, from 16–18 June 2019. 6 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2019