NIGERIA 2.10 Private media outlets operate as efficient and professional businesses ANALYSIS: In general and despite an adverse economic climate, the media have struggled to stay afloat by being profitable and efficient. Yet, high interest rates and continuous electricity problems shoot up the overhead costs and make it difficult to break even. Some media are making compromises in order to survive, for example by offering poor staff welfare. Efficiency is sometimes limited when family considerations rather than competence determine top appointments; as in the case in one newspaper where the managing director is the wife of the publisher. Injecting professional management into the running of private media remains a continuing challenge as managerial deficiencies in the shape of irregular payment of salaries, poor staff welfare and weak business ethics exist. Many media have started with ambition and ethics but the reality of the business has made some of them to change their orientation towards a more survival-oriented mode. They run newspapers as real businesses. But some also struggle because of a lack of managerial capacity. In particular where journalists alone have established newspapers like the “Citizen Magazine”,their lack of administrative skills shows. SCORES: Individual scores: 2; 2; 3; 3; 3; 3; 1; 3; 3; 2; 2 Total score: 27 Average score: 2.5 African Media Barometer - Nigeria 2008 17