There is no gain saying the fact that information technology is the world’s fastest growing sector, especially in Nigeria, and indeed, Africa. Today, multimedia communication, the computer and the internet have converged. This convergence has left traditional media forms in self-doubt as to their future and relevance in the new information and communication order.

With this convergence comes globalisation, a new world information system which respects no religious, national, racial or ethnic divides or borders. From the remotest villages in Africa, access can now be had to the centre of world trade and entertainment in the United States, while the basic factors for Africa’s full involvement in the new globalisation concept: literacy; availability of telephones and computer facilities to majority of Africa, remains a monster.

To keen watchers of developments in the continent, globalisation poses considerable challenges to traditional media in Africa, particularly in Nigeria. The danger of cultural dominance by the western world and other developed nations gets ever stronger as local broadcast stations continue to loose audiences to foreign stations through cable satellite television, the computer, internet, multimedia convergence and or satellite radio.

Interestingly, western cultural domination emanated from foreign programmes on television, movies as well as musical materials on radio from western stations. All these threaten our cultural identity and values. And there appears to be no end in sight as this unsolicited onslaught permeates the airwaves, TV screens, and visual display terminals and or computer.

Today, the threat of cultural domination is even more glaring than ever before as more and more television stations tear apart the stratosphere to unleash their programmes on populations far distant from their locations. Such stations as Cable News network (CNN), Fox News, Trinity Broadcasting Service (TBS), Christian Science Monitor (CSM), Christian Broadcasting Service (CBS), Bloomberg Broadcasting Service (BBS), National Geographic Channel (NGC) among many more in the United States; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Sky News, among others in the United Kingdom, and Al-Jazeera Television in the United Arab Emirates, are now major conduits for transmitting cultural values and social orientations across boundaries, including hitherto iron-cast frontiers.

Indeed, our culture faces the possibilities of not just total invasion but annexation, and to a higher degree, extinction. And while our local audiences have unfettered access to foreign programmes, our local stations lack the capacity to reach foreign audiences in the Americas and Europe. In fact, apart from Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) International Service and African Independent Television (AIT) International, no other Nigerian television station transmits to as far as USA or UK.

Perhaps, it is necessary to note that Nigeria, and indeed, the entire African continent will be the greatest loser in this one-way globalisation mix that lacks fairness, and provides the nations on the continent no opportunity to compete favourably with other players across the globe. One wonders when Nigeria, of course, Africa’s technological weakness would exploit the cutting-edge capacity of the western world and push the button to the advantage of the larger population of Nigerians and Africans.

Methinks that the challenge for broadcasters in Nigeria, albeit, Africa, is to find the most plausible way to take advantage of the new world information order, and redefine what the population wants. The first challenge would be to explore new areas of programming and packaging that would attract international audience, programmes that treat and showcase the unique Nigerian and African cultures and experiences.

Culture is one thing that is unique to Africa which the world would want to take some time to learn, explore and appreciate. For instance, India has excelled in this area, and has made significant returns on investment through huge foreign exchange inflow from cultural exports. Besides that, the country has continued to attract international attention to its culture through the entertainment industry, and eco-medical tourism.

It may also be necessary for broadcast stations in Nigeria and Africa to digitalise their transmissions, and link up their frequencies and upload their programmes to the internet as a veritable means of exposing the programme content to the global public space (GPS) on an instantaneous basis. This way, the world would be availed the opportunity to experience Nigerian and Africa uncut and live.

With a world-class and high capacity communications satellite in place, the government can provide the backbone needed to enable local stations leapfrog their desire to be on the global space of information and communication. It is unfortunate that Nigeria has lost several opportunities in the past to launch herself into reckoning as a major player in this sector. But the time to push the button is now because globalisation is taking the shine off the local stations and forcing our cultures out of oblivion.

As a nation, Nigeria needs to achieve complete convergence of its information and communication products, including music, movies and or videos, motion pictures and other works of art so as the make its mark in the world stage. Local stations, private broadcast stations, community radio stations, and home video industry can tap from this elegant window to broaden the nation’s revenue base. It will afford us the opportunity to marry the different cultures and ethnic groups together as one indivisible community and promote the unique Nigerian identity.

This should be the goal of any television or radio station in Nigeria. It takes courage, huge investment, creativity and innovation to make the difference in a world already saturated with foreign cultural values and etiquettes. But we can effect a turn around, and greater global appreciation of Nigeria, nay Africa through our broadcast modules.

Dokubo, a Mass Communication student of RSUST, resides in Port Harcourt.

Ruth Ibiye Dokubo