By Stephen Simon
President Bola Tinubu has renewed the appointments of the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Abdulhamid Salihu Dembos, and the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Mohammed Ali, for another three-year term.
The renewal, announced by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, will take effect on October 20, 2026, following the expiration of their initial three-year tenure.
Tinubu first appointed Dembos and Ali to head the two government-owned media organisations on October 20, 2023. Their reappointment means both executives will continue to oversee the institutions until 2029, subject to the terms of their renewed appointments.
Dembos, an indigene of Yola, Adamawa State, has a long career with the NTA. He joined the organisation as an announcer at its Kaduna station after completing his National Youth Service in 1989 and subsequently rose through several positions within the authority.
He served at various times as General Manager of NTA Lokoja and NTA Kano and later became Acting Zonal Director of the NTA Kaduna Network Centre before his retirement in 2017. He also previously served as Executive Director of Marketing at the NTA and was National President of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union (RATTAWU).
Ali, the renewed Managing Director of NAN, is a veteran journalist and media manager with more than three decades of professional experience. He holds a first degree in English from Bayero University, Kano, a graduate degree in International Affairs from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a postgraduate diploma in Mass Communication from Bayero University.
According to the Presidency, Ali has particular interest in the transformation of the media industry and content development in the digital environment, including the challenge of meeting the information needs of an increasingly diverse audience relying on multiple news platforms.
The President urged both executives to justify the confidence reposed in them by continuing to demonstrate commitment to the mandates of their respective organisations and supporting the implementation of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The reappointments come at a period of significant change in Nigeria’s media environment, with traditional broadcasters and news agencies facing growing competition from digital platforms, social media and alternative sources of information.
For the NTA and NAN, the challenge will therefore extend beyond maintaining existing operations. Both organisations will be expected to strengthen their relevance in a rapidly changing information environment while maintaining professional standards, credibility and public-service responsibilities.
The renewal of their appointments also gives the two executives an opportunity to consolidate whatever reforms and initiatives were started during their first terms and address areas where their organisations continue to face operational and technological challenges.
For NAN in particular, the growth of digital journalism has fundamentally changed how news is produced, distributed and consumed. The agency’s ability to remain a dependable source of verified news for newspapers, broadcasters, online publishers and other media organisations will be central to its continued relevance.
The NTA faces a similar challenge as audiences increasingly move from conventional television to streaming platforms, social media and other digital channels. Its continued competitiveness will depend on its ability to adapt its content and delivery methods to changing audience habits.
With their second terms beginning in October, Dembos and Ali now have another three years to demonstrate that the confidence placed in them by the President can translate into stronger institutions, improved public-service broadcasting and a more responsive national news agency.
For Nigeria’s public media institutions, the renewal is not simply another three-year appointment; it is another opportunity to prove that government-owned media can remain credible and relevant in an increasingly digital information age.
