The origins of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) trace back to 1959 with the establishment of Western Nigerian Television Services (WNTV), the first television station in tropical Africa. By 1962, the evolving media landscape saw the emergence of the Nigerian Television Service (NTS), founded by Nigeria’s then three regional governments. The proliferation of state structures led to a rapid expansion of broadcasting services, culminating in 1976 when the Federal Government consolidated all existing stations into a unified entity: the Nigerian Television Authority. From its initial footprint of 10 stations, NTA has expanded into a sprawling network comprising 101 broadcast outlets, including regional affiliates, specialized thematic channels, and international-facing services. This vast footprint makes it one of the largest terrestrial television networks in Africa.
Media assets
Television: NTA Aba, NTA Abeokuta, NTA Abuja, NTA Plus Abuja, NTA Ado-Ekiti, NTA Akure, NTA Asaba, NTA Awka, NTA Bauchi, NTA Benin, NTA Birnin-Kebbi, NTA Calabar, NTA Damaturu, NTA Dutse, NTA Enugu, NTA Gombe, NTA Gusau, NTA Ibadan, NTA Ife, NTA Ijebu-Ode, NTA Ilorin, NTA International, NTA Jalingo, NTA Jos, NTA Kaduna, NTA Kano, NTA Katsina, NTA 2 Channel 5 Lagos, NTA Channel 10 Lagos, NTA Lafia, NTA Lokoja, NTA Maiduguri, NTA Makurdi, NTA Minna, NTA Ondo, NTA Osogbo, NTA Owerri, NTA Oyo, NTA Port Harcourt, NTA Sokoto, NTA Uyo, NTA Yenagoa, NTA Yola, NTA Sapele, NTA Education, NTA Sports
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The Nigerian Television Authority is governed by the NTA Act of 1976, which formalized its status as a state-owned public corporation.
At the apex of NTA’s governance structure is its Board of Directors, originally envisioned as an 11-member body appointed largely by the Federal Government. However, the President is empowered by law to alter the board’s composition. As of 2025, the board consists of eight members, all of whom are government appointees, selected on the recommendation of the Minister of Information and Culture and confirmed by the President.
Executive oversight is provided by the Director General (DG), who also sits on the board and presides over day-to-day operations through the Management Board. The DG is appointed by the Minister, subject to presidential approval.
In June 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu dissolved the boards of 14 federal agencies, including NTA, as part of a broader shake-up of state institutions. Until replacements were named, the President assumed direct oversight. Subsequently, in October 2023, Tinubu appointed Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos as Director General of the NTA—part of a wave of appointments reshaping Nigeria’s public service media landscape.
In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu appointed Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the new Board Chairman of NTA. This marks a notable political appointment, as Morka is a prominent APC official.
The NTA’s board members appointed in September 2024 included: Ayo Adewuyi — Executive Director, News, Ibrahim Aliyu — Executive Director, Special Duties, Muhammed Fatuhu Mustapha — Executive Director, Administration and Training, Apinke Effiong — Executive Director, Finance, Tari Taylaur — Executive Director, Programs, Sadique Musa Omeiza — Executive Director, Engineering and Oluwakemi Fashina — Executive Director, Marketing.
Source of funding and budget
NTA is predominantly reliant on federal funding. In 2023, the broadcaster received NGN 8.33 billion (approximately USD 10.8 million) via allocations from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, reinforcing the state’s role as its primary financier.
Between 2010 and 2019, NTA was granted NGN 67 billion (equivalent to USD 43 million at 2024 exchange rates) in cumulative subsidies. Additionally, the Nigerian government pledged NGN 181.5 billion (USD 500 million) in 2020 to support the network’s digital transition—although implementation timelines and disbursement details remain opaque.
While advertising offers a secondary revenue stream, it remains limited in scale. Industry observers estimate that advertising revenue contributes roughly 20% to NTA’s overall budget—underscoring the broadcaster’s fiscal dependence on government subvention.
Editorial independence
Mandated to provide “independent and impartial television broadcasting for general reception within Nigeria,” NTA’s editorial autonomy remains, at best, aspirational. The founding legislation stipulates that the broadcaster must air government communiqués, ministerial speeches, and other official content upon request—formalizing a pathway for state influence over programming.
In practice, the NTA has often functioned as a de facto mouthpiece of the ruling government. Numerous media monitoring reports and academic analyses have documented the network’s role in amplifying the narratives of those in power, while marginalizing dissenting or critical voices.
In October 2021, during a budget presentation at the National Assembly, then-Director General Yakubu Mohammed publicly acknowledged the mounting pressure from ministries and government bodies seeking favorable coverage, further highlighting the institutional vulnerabilities that inhibit editorial independence.
NTA’s Service Charter outlines internal quality control mechanisms, including a Research, Development and Monitoring Unit tasked with evaluating program standards. According to the Authority, daily monitoring reports are reviewed by senior management and guide editorial decisions. The broadcaster also invites public feedback and claims to respond promptly to viewer complaints. However, there was little public evidence to suggest these mechanisms safeguard journalistic independence or function as effective accountability tools.
In recent months, there has been a growing public demand for higher editorial standards and more relevant content, and NTA’s recent moves have been viewed as positive steps toward regaining cultural relevance and audience trust. The broader executive board overhaul in September 2024 also brought in industry-savvy figures such as Tari Taylaur, signaling a parallel push for editorial reinvention. Under the new board, NTA has launched initiatives to expand authentic Nigerian storytelling, including partnerships with Nollywood producers and the introduction of original programming like Temi and the Labalaba Band and Las Gidi. These efforts aim to reposition NTA as a platform for local, culturally resonant content rather than solely a government mouthpiece.
But while the new board has injected creative energy and a renewed focus on local content, the overarching influence of a politically affiliated chairman raises questions about the balance between cultural innovation and political neutrality. The risk is that editorial improvements in entertainment and cultural programming may be overshadowed by perceived or real bias in news and political coverage.
July 2025