By Onu Okorie

Federal Government has commenced the first phase of its National Audience Measurement System AMS in Lagos on Tuesday September 1 2026.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, who disclosed this at a media conference explained that the rollout is sequel to the unveiling of the Digital Switch Over DSO in June 2026.
Idris, who was represented by the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria ARCON, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, said the introduction of credible audience data would strengthen Nigeria’s broadcast industry and provide a reliable basis for business and programming decisions.
According to him, the system will provide accurate information on who watches television, what they watch and when they watch it.
He said the data would help broadcasters improve their programming, enable advertisers to make better-informed decisions and support content producers.
The minister added that a reliable audience measurement system would boost investor confidence, promote the production of quality Nigerian content and create more opportunities across the country’s media and creative industries.
Idris, however, stressed the importance of public trust in the success of the initiative, urging operators of the system to ensure transparency and protect the privacy and dignity of participating households.
“Nigeria deserves clear, credible information about how the system works, why households are selected and what participation entails,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of First Media and Entertainment Integrated Ltd. FMEIL, Mr Rotimi Pedro, described the Lagos rollout as a major milestone in the establishment of Nigeria’s national audience measurement system.
Pedro said FMEIL was licensed by the National Broadcasting Commission NBC and ARCON to establish an audience measurement system that meets global standards while reflecting the peculiarities of Nigeria’s advertising market.
He said the company had partnered with GARB, a Bulgarian technical company, to ensure that the system and the data generated complied with international standards.
According to him, the company began with a proof-of-concept demonstration in Abuja about two years ago and had since calibrated the system for wider national deployment.
“We are now beginning to roll out the measurement in households in Lagos,” Pedro said.
He explained that the automated system would provide audience delivery data at specific times, giving advertisers a stronger and more reliable basis for media buying.
“Essentially, what we are doing is decoding currency,” he said.
The Director-General of the NBC, Mr Charles Ebuebu, said audience measurement was one of the key deliverables of the Digital Switch Over initiative.
Ebuebu noted that Nigeria had previously relied largely on diary-based audience measurement, which he described as unreliable and economically inefficient.
“We need to have reliable data that leads to several other things,” he.