“I want to share the behind-the-scenes of Africa with the world.”

Ndume Green is the CEO of Capital TV, which just lately unveiled its new headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Green, who can also be concerned in different media ventures, spoke to Debo Oladimeji about his plans for the tv station, saying it will be used to inform African tales to the world by means of a Nigerian lens.

Please inform us a bit about Capital TV.
Capital TV is a state-of-the-art digital content material TV channel working in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. Our plan with Capital TV is solely to inform African tales, break by means of the nearly impenetrable glass ceiling inside the partitions of world media, and problem the static narratives about Africa which have existed for many years. It is about shaping the message about Africa by offering a narrative of hope for the many individuals who’ve promoted it. African continent. Through tales from a Nigerian perspective, Capital TV has all the time been dedicated to placing Africa in a extra optimistic mild, constructing a brand new picture and projecting, selling and strengthening the confidence of younger and vibrant Africans. It occurs usually.

But our broader imaginative and prescient extends past Capital TV. From our new headquarters right here, we’ll drive 5 main multi-billion naira manufacturers together with Capital TV, nationwide, continental and world information manufacturers and different media ventures.

When was Capital TV based?
Capital TV was based in 2019.

What made you resolve to set up a broadcasting station?
I began Capital TV as a result of I wished to present a platform that tells African tales from an African perspective, not simply in information, but in addition in real-life content material targeted on human curiosity. I used to be fairly irritated by the overly comforting reporting sample in the Nigerian media and thought there was a necessity to disrupt the narrative. I believe we’re getting there.

How did you begin your profession in journalism?
I began my journalism profession a few years in the past in Ghana pursuing a journalism diploma. After finishing my research, I based a newspaper known as the Nigerian Times Ghana with the purpose of offering publications that target the actions of Nigerians in Ghana. I finally moved into visible media and he launched IFN TV, a web based TV channel in Ghana. This is an outgrowth of my TV present on eTV Ghana known as International Focus on Nigeria the place I traveled from nation to nation in West Africa interviewing and documenting Nigerians. It’s affecting the continent. Eventually, he obtained a tv license for IFN TV from the Ghanaian authorities in 2017, however due to some circumstances that affected his enterprise in Nigeria, he finally moved again to Nigeria.

What challenges are you going through on this space?
The major problem right here is funding. We have a really sturdy media thought that’s viable and self-sustaining. But as you realize, media, particularly the areas that we deal with, are capital intensive. And our plans transcend broadcasting. We have plans to run different media ventures corresponding to movies, premier movie productions and a village of movie creators, and we’re about to begin doing simply that. and a content material manufacturing firm known as Metro Studios.

So how did you handle to climate the storm?
focus and decisiveness. For somebody as younger as me to get to this level in Nigeria with none help, it will need to have been simply focus. For me, being concerned in the broadcasting trade is my calling. It’s one thing that may occur at any time and be effortlessly delivered.

Have you obtained any awards?
sure. I’m the recipient of the 2017 Nelson Mandela Washington Fellow Nigeria Alumni Association Media Award. In 2018, I used to be a finalist for the BBC Komla Dumol Prize and was additionally just lately chosen for a Bill Gates Storify Africa Fellowship by African No Filters.

What different areas are you interested by?
I’m an skilled documentarian, creator, and investigative journalist. I believe these type an necessary half of who I’m as a journalist and media entrepreneur. I consider we’re main a disruptive revolution in Africa’s broadcasting enterprise and are slowly getting there with Capital TV.

How do you assume the authorities can alleviate the challenges confronted on this space?
As a brand new entrant in the trade, the major problem is finance. As I discussed earlier, broadcasting is a really capital-intensive enterprise. It’s not one thing you may simply get up at the moment and begin doing. Even minimal tools prices rather a lot of cash. So for somebody like me, entry to credit score is a giant problem.

Again, for those who go searching Nigeria, most of the large gamers on this trade are both at the high of the authorities or individuals who have highly effective tentacles inside the corridors of energy. I imply, you may think about what meaning for a younger man like me who’s making an attempt to bulldoze his approach from scratch.
But the level is, I do know my ounces. We know what the market desires. I do know the place the flaws are and that is the place Capital TV is available in. I simply want to deal with filling these gaps and every thing will fall into place in the finish.

But once more, I believe the authorities ought to present the trade with a stage enjoying subject the place individuals like us can get credit score.

Then there’s the challenge of licensing. This course of could be very tedious and one way or the other costly for individuals like us who’ve all the experience and expertise however would not have all the obligatory funds. So that is an space that the authorities can even look into.

How do you propose to earn cash with Capital TV?
Media is a really profitable enterprise. Currently, we’re producing documentaries for big corporations not solely in Nigeria however throughout Africa. We produce commercials, cowl main occasions, and assist high corporations with their media methods for model visibility. We additionally present consulting and set up work for broadcast tools. We additionally run one of the most trusted media coaching colleges. That’s how the cash is available in. But once more, all of this goes again into the enterprise to develop.

Do you employ DSTV?
I have not joined DSTV but. Most of our actions are at present carried out on-line. We do not simply want to be on DSTV and broadcast one thing mediocre. I’m an individual who loves excellence, so I’ve been actively engaged on constructing content material for the previous two years.

I make use of rather a lot of younger individuals who work right here, and so they journey throughout the nation, working collectively to create tales that align with our imaginative and prescient of telling African tales. We want the world to see the different aspect of the continent by means of our tales, not simply tales of battle, famine, coups, and web fraud. But that does not forestall us from specializing in necessary points of governance, management and politics generally.

What do you assume are the options to the challenges in Nigeria’s energy sector which can be affecting many companies, together with yours?
I do not assume Nigeria’s electrical energy drawback is insurmountable. I consider the present authorities is aware of what to do. I imply, I’ve visited many nations round Africa and it’s a disgrace that Nigeria nonetheless has energy crops.

All it takes is willpower and I want the present authorities would take a barely extra measured strategy as they don’t have anything to present for the billions of {dollars} now we have spent as a rustic on energy since 1999. Masu.

The answer is to enhance our strategy to renewable vitality by incorporating know-how and innovation into our strategy to energy technology. Because that is the approach ahead. Because our nation is situated in the tropics, there may be photo voltaic radiation all 12 months spherical, and our lengthy shoreline gives the potential for wind energy technology. We have to make the most of what now we have.

Source: guardian.ng