Lagos households to get 36GB monthly data as FG launches TV audience measurement

Selected households in Lagos State are set to receive 36GB of mobile data every month for participating in the Federal Government’s new Television Audience Measurement System (AMS).

The initiative marks the beginning of the first phase of Nigeria’s new national audience measurement programme, designed to provide more accurate data on television viewing habits and strengthen the country’s broadcasting and advertising industries.

The programme is being implemented by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) under the FreeTV brand as part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to modernise Nigeria’s broadcasting sector and advance its Digital Switch Over (DSO) programme.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, represented by the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Olalekan Fadolapo, disclosed details of the initiative at a press briefing in Lagos.

Idris said a reliable TV audience measurement system would provide the data needed to improve decision-making across Nigeria’s media and creative industries.

According to the minister, credible audience data can strengthen investor confidence, support the production of quality Nigerian content and create opportunities across the media and creative economy.

He noted that the broadcasting industry extends beyond television stations, pointing to the large ecosystem of journalists, producers, filmmakers, actors, advertisers, technology providers and other professionals who depend on the sector.

The minister said the new system would help stakeholders understand who is watching, what they are watching and when they are watching, making the information valuable to broadcasters, advertisers, content producers, investors and regulators.

Unlike the traditional diary-based system, in which viewers record their own television viewing habits, the new Peoplemeter technology will automatically capture viewing information from participating households.

Selected households will have Peoplemeter devices and data-enabled routers installed in their homes.

The equipment will passively collect television viewing information and transmit the data securely to a central data centre, where it can be processed and analysed.

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The system is expected to provide more accurate information on viewing patterns, including the programmes audiences watch and the periods during which they watch them.

Patrick Gomes, Chief Operating Officer of First Media and Entertainment Integrated Limited (FMEIL), the technical partner implementing the system, said participating households would receive 36GB of data monthly as an incentive.

The monthly data incentive is currently valued at about N11,000, according to information provided on the programme.

Gomes explained that the data is intended to support the internet and browsing needs of households participating in the audience measurement panel.

He added that the programme would also provide a quarterly incentive based on participants’ level of compliance with the requirements of the system.

Households that consistently comply with the programme’s requirements would receive higher quarterly incentives, while households with lower levels of compliance would receive a corresponding proportion of the incentive.

The Federal Government has, however, clarified that the 36GB monthly data is not a general free-data scheme for Lagos residents.

Only households selected and enrolled as part of the official audience measurement panel will qualify for the incentive.

The selection of participating households is based on the findings of Nigeria’s first nationwide Establishment Survey, which was completed in the first half of 2023.

The survey covered about 60,000 households across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including approximately 7,000 households in Lagos.

The survey provided the statistical foundation for identifying households that could participate in the audience measurement panel and help generate representative television viewing data.

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The Lagos rollout followed technical testing and a proof-of-concept pilot conducted in selected homes.

Results from the pilot were presented to stakeholders in Abuja in the second quarter of 2024 before the programme moved towards the wider deployment phase.

Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, described the rollout as a major milestone for Nigeria’s broadcasting ecosystem.

He said the system would provide accurate and passive tracking of audience consumption patterns while addressing transparency challenges within the broadcasting and advertising markets.

The introduction of the Peoplemeter system could significantly change the way television audiences are measured in Nigeria.

For years, broadcasters and advertisers have relied on audience measurement methods that have faced concerns over accuracy, transparency and the ability to capture changing viewing habits.

The new technology is expected to provide more consistent data by capturing viewing behaviour directly rather than relying solely on participants to remember and report what they watched.

The data could have a major impact on the Nigerian advertising market, where audience figures are important in determining advertising placement, campaign reach and the value of television platforms.

Advertisers could use the information to identify programmes and channels that attract specific audiences, while broadcasters could use the data to demonstrate their reach and make better decisions about programming.

Content producers could also benefit from more reliable information about audience preferences.

By knowing which programmes and genres attract particular audiences, producers and investors could make more informed decisions about where to commit resources.

The system could consequently encourage greater investment in Nigerian content, entertainment, news, education and other forms of locally produced programming.

The Federal Government expects the programme to complement the ongoing Digital Switch Over initiative, which is aimed at transitioning Nigeria from analogue television broadcasting to digital terrestrial television.

The FreeTV platform is central to the government’s digital broadcasting strategy and is intended to provide Nigerians with access to free-to-air digital television services.

The audience measurement system is being rolled out in phases.

Following the launch in Lagos, the second phase is expected to extend the programme to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, while a third phase will cover other major media markets across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

The eventual objective is to establish a national television audience measurement system capable of providing reliable data across different regions and demographic groups.

The nationwide deployment is expected to give regulators, broadcasters, advertisers and investors a clearer understanding of Nigeria’s television market.

It could also provide a more transparent basis for determining advertising rates and evaluating the performance of television programmes.

Officials believe the availability of credible audience data will ultimately strengthen Nigeria’s broadcasting industry and contribute to the growth of the wider creative economy.

The initiative also reflects a broader shift towards technology-driven data collection within Nigeria’s media sector.

For participating households, the immediate benefit will be the monthly 36GB data incentive, alongside the possibility of additional quarterly incentives for consistent compliance.

For the wider industry, however, the more significant development is the transition from a traditional diary-based measurement model to an automated Peoplemeter system.

As the programme expands beyond Lagos to other major media markets, the Federal Government will be hoping that the system delivers the accurate and transparent audience data needed to improve investment, advertising, content production and regulation in Nigeria’s television industry.

The success of the programme will ultimately depend on the ability of the authorities and technical partners to maintain accurate data collection, protect participants’ privacy and ensure that the selected households remain representative of Nigeria’s diverse television audience.

If successfully implemented nationwide, the new TV audience measurement system could become an important foundation for the future of Nigeria’s broadcasting, advertising and creative industries.

Lagos households to get 36GB monthly data as FG launches TV audience measurement