Dokpesi Jnr Unveils Plans to Transform Broadcasting Industry, Declares for BON Chairmanship

Dokpesi Jnr Unveils Plans to Transform Broadcasting Industry, Declares for BON Chairmanship

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Raymond Dokpesi Jnr, has unveiled ambitious plans to drive sustainable growth and collaboration across Nigeria’s broadcasting sector as he declared his bid for the chairmanship of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).

At a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Dokpesi highlighted that the industry is at a pivotal moment in information flow, requiring collaboration among private, public, cable, and emerging broadcasters.

His goal, he said, is to build an industry that works for all, ensuring inclusivity for both startups and legacy stations.

He noted that high operating costs and regulatory challenges have made profitability difficult, urging the government to recognize the sector as a matter of urgent national interest.

“We need the government to declare a national emergency on broadcasting and examine how to fix the structural, legislative, and regulatory frameworks for our industry, aligning them with the five pillars we have adopted,” Dokpesi said.

The five-pillar framework aims to grow Nigeria’s broadcasting sector tenfold over the next three to five years. Key initiatives include safeguarding national information sovereignty and building economic resilience for free-to-air broadcasters, public service media, local content creators, and indigenous NBC-licensed stations.

Dokpesi also plans to protect the industry from unfair competition, misinformation, and external threats through robust measures such as data localisation and content quotas.

Economic growth will be driven by digitization, spectrum efficiency, AI and social media integration, stakeholder empowerment, tax incentives, and a dedicated Free-to-Air Development Fund for content and infrastructure.

On regulation and media ethics, he emphasized promoting “ethical content and self-regulation by establishing standards for quality, accuracy, and ethics, while empowering BON committees to foster trust and reduce regulatory burdens.”

He further aims to improve accessibility and inclusivity, ensuring representation of women, youth, and underserved communities, and expanding broadcasting reach to rural areas through mandates for inclusive programming.

Sustainability is another key pillar, with plans to reduce operational costs by 30% through eco-friendly initiatives, workforce upskilling, and audience measurement standards to verify impact.

Dokpesi said DAAR Communications has already begun implementing some of these strategies, yielding tangible results.

“We have already started taking baby steps toward this vision, and we have observed a tremendous surge in value and capital appreciation on the NGX. DAAR’s share price has appreciated by 600-750% since restructuring our management, so we know where we are going, but we are still just scratching the surface,” he said.