REELS AND THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF NIGERIAN NEWS MEDIA:OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF PLATFORM-DEPENDENT MONETISATION

Abstract

The paper explores the adoption of “Reels” as a means of financial sustainability by Nigerian news organizations. The financial sustainability of news organizations was from sale of newspapers, running television adverts, sponsorships and in the recent past, audience subscription to news channels via pay-tv bouquets. The emergence of sophisticated digital media platforms have rendered this business model obsolete. This study examines the evolution of the financial sustainability of Nigerian media houses from direct advertising and sponsorship systems to digital monetization platforms. Using the Technological Determinism Theory. Qualitative secondary research based on academic journals, industry reports from
Reuters Institute and Meta and credible news archives from 2024 to 2026 serves as the method of data gathering. The findings indicate that with direct ad revenue sharing, brand sponsorships and attracting younger users to news websites, adoption of Reels can become an excellent opportunity to generate revenue. The study suggests among others, that for Nigerian news organizations to fully utilize Reels as potent instruments for survival, they must invest into staff training and procurement of modern gadgets to be active players in the social media landscape.