04/09/2026
REMARKS BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMMISSION (NBC), MR. CHARLES EBUEBU, AT NEMCEA 2026
Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos
Wednesday, 2 September 2026
The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Charles Ebuebu, has emphasised the need for Nigeria’s broadcasting and electronic media industry to move beyond content production and focus increasingly on distribution, monetisation, audience measurement and the global export of Nigerian stories.
Speaking at the 2026 Nigerian Electronic Media Content Exhibition and Awards (NEMCEA), held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Ebuebu described the exhibition as an important platform bringing together content, technology and services within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving media and creative ecosystem.
According to him, NEMCEA comes at a particularly important time for the industry, which is undergoing significant transformation driven by digitalisation, changing audience behaviour, artificial intelligence, emerging content distribution models and the growing influence of digital creators.
He noted that the conversation in the industry can no longer be limited to how much content is produced, but must increasingly focus on the quality of content, how effectively it is distributed and monetised, and the capacity to take Nigerian stories to audiences across the world.
The NBC Director General commended the breadth of the 2026 NEMCEA programme, particularly the focus on the creator economy, monetisation, the export of Nigerian content, intellectual property and digital rights, artificial intelligence, insurance and risk management, as well as the convergence between traditional media and digital creators.
He identified the intersection between Digital Switch Over (DSO) and audience measurement as an area of particular strategic importance to the NBC.
He said reliable audience data would increasingly become a critical currency in the emerging digital broadcasting economy, determining how content is valued, where advertising investments are directed, how broadcasters compete and how producers make programming decisions.
As Nigeria advances its digital broadcasting transformation, Mr. Ebuebu stressed the need to build not only digital transmission infrastructure but also the data and commercial infrastructure required to make the emerging ecosystem sustainable.
He also emphasised the importance of protecting and maximising the value of Nigerian content. According to him, Nigeria’s rich content and cultural resources have enormous commercial potential, but this potential cannot be fully realised without effective intellectual property protection, stronger monetisation structures, investment, professional risk management and improved access to international markets.
The DG NBCcommended NEMCEA for providing a platform where these critical issues could be examined collectively, while creating opportunities for industry practitioners to connect, exhibit, learn and build meaningful partnerships.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the National Broadcasting Commission to continue working with government institutions, industry associations, broadcasters, content creators, technology providers and other stakeholders to foster a regulatory environment that encourages innovation, investment, professionalism, healthy competition and responsible broadcasting.
Looking ahead, Mr. Ebuebu said Nigeria’s ambition must be to build a media industry that is not only capable of telling compelling Nigerian stories but is also able to convert those stories into sustainable economic value and confidently take them to the global market.
He congratulated the organisers, exhibitors, speakers and participants of NEMCEA 2026 and wished the exhibition, conferences, masterclasses and awards a successful outing.
