The ENABLE Case Study: Making Media Work for the Poor

From the Executive Summary

While Nigeria has the potential to be one of the prime drivers of development in Africa, its development is constrained by the weak environment for broad-based economic growth. Specific policy and regulatory changes can improve the environment for economic growth in the short-term. Achieving sustainable, long-term change in Nigeria requires a significant strengthening of policy formulation and implementation processes. At the core, this policy process involves the supply of, and demand for, improvements in the Business Environment (BE).

This case study looks at work being undertaken by the Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for a Better Business Environment (ENABLE) Programme in Nigeria to strengthen one of the key supporters of this policy process – the mass media.

The ENABLE approach to sustainability ensures that these are not one-off advocacy activities, but form the ongoing activities of a media industry that is now playing a more effective, sustainable role in policy and advocacy processes. The work of ENABLE has significant potential to be built upon; not only in increased replication of small business and agricultural reporting but also in new advocacy areas such as health, education and governance.