By Aluta News
Feb. 27, 2024
The Federal Government has been urged to increase the funding of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to enable it effectively play the strategic role of shaping the nation and Africa’s narratives to the rest of the world.
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of 5-day editorial management retreat of the Agency which ended at the weekend in Kaduna.
The retreat was organised by NAN in partnership with with Seplat Energy, Nigeria National Petroleum Ltd, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue, Bauchi and Kano state governments.
“In view of its strategic importance in shaping narratives of the country and Africa to the rest of the world, greater funding of NAN by the Federal Government is imperative.
“Management should create the enabling environment necessary for officers to meet the demands of the evolving media landscape and opportunities therein’’, the communiqué said.
According to the communiqué, the participants therefore urged NAN management to create the enabling environment necessary for officers to meet the demands of the evolving media landscape and opportunities therein.
This end, according to the communiqué the participants urged that the agency be repositioned to leverage emerging media technologies including, Artificial Intelligence (AI), adding that “there is need for NAN to `innovate or wither`.
“The agency should look beyond conventional sources of income such as radio and newspaper subscriptions and explore such sources of income as data journalism“, among other recommendations.
The participants had observed that “as the largest news agency in Africa, NAN has a major role to play in agenda setting not only in Nigeria but also help in changing Western media stereotypes against Africa.“
They also observed that media landscape is rapidly changing warranting wires services like NAN hence the need for innovation in order to meet the content needs of subscribers.
They also observed that technology has redefined media practice, content and consumption pattern.
The participants also noted that NAN faces serious financial challenges; as well as the lackadaisical attitude to work by some officers which they said has affected the quality of contents delivered to NAN subscribers.
NAN