Nigeria

Media Sector Mapping (MSM)

In 2008, SFCG began a media sector mapping in the three states in the Niger Delta (Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers) of Nigeria with funding from the British Department of International Development, to gather baseline information on audience information and communication flows.  The MSM evaluates how people and communities understand public information and how they access it with a focus on the federal and state development plans. Media mappings help to underline, to different stakeholders, the importance of clear and effective communication.  Strategically, it provides an idea of where and how development programmes could be most effective in Nigeria and, specifically, in the Niger Delta, with the ultimate goal of supporting enhanced transparency and accountability in governance and development.

Read the Media Sector Mapping Report

Read the Media Sector Mapping Key Findings

The Station

The Station is a television drama series created and produced by Common Ground Productions (CGP) in Lagos, Nigeria. It is aimed at providing peaceful alternatives to handling conflict and positive role models for Nigerians, especially youth. Developed and written by a team of young Nigerians, The Station addresses issues that have been identified as the main impediments to the country's development, including tribal violence, domestic abuse, corruption, unemployment and HIV/AIDS.

About The Station

The backdrop of the show is Action News, a fictional Nigerian television news station. Through the eyes of the people that work at the station--journalists, anchors, cameramen, businesspeople--the viewer experiences the problems and conflicts that exist among the ethnically diverse population. For many Nigerians, it also offers a glimpse into the unknown world of television journalism. The Station does not provide solutions to the problems facing Nigerians and Nigeria, but rather raises important questions, promotes peaceful alternatives and provides positive role models for viewers.

The Station is one of the most ambitious productions ever undertaken in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of cast, crew, set design and filming style. Several principal characters were cast through The Academy, CGP's unique documentary/reality series. To fully capture the complexity, dynamism and energy of television journalism, a dilapidated warehouse in Lagos was transformed into a world-class production studio that includes a CNN-style newsroom, domestic and office interior sets.

The Academy

The Academy is a hybrid documentary/reality television show created and produced in Nigeria by Common Ground Productions (CGP) in association with Nestlé. The show celebrates Nigeria's wealth of creative talent with a glimpse into the exhilarating world of acting. The series features twenty aspiring actors and actresses who put their performance skills to the test for the chance to win lead roles in The Station, CGP's fast-paced radio and television drama series. The cameras capture the drama and excitement as the participants undergo an intensive, 30-day acting and conflict resolution training program.

About The Academy

Showcasing some of the brightest up-and-coming talent in Nigeria, The Academy's eight female and twelve male students were chosen from over 50,000 applications that Common Ground Productions received in response to its audition call.

The participants' cultural, educational, ethnic and occupational backgrounds reflect the rich diversity of Nigeria's population. The acting challenges were developed to make the most of the participants' potential and to equip them with the skills and techniques necessary to achieve success in this demanding profession.