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The Nigerian media space is always heated with debates on what is going on in governance, mostly when the Nation's treasury is about to be shaken up to excavate huge amounts of money.
It happened late last year when President Muhammad Buhari assented to 37 Billion naira for the renovation of the National assembly constructed at 7 Billion naira.
Information and Culture Minister, Lai Muhammed made a statement on Monday that he needs $500 million dollars to rejig the Nigerian Television Authority NTA to compete with the likes of CNN.
The statement is as annoying as it is funny because NTA is, arguably, one of the worst television channels in Africa.
The Current Minister of Sports and Youths Development, Sunday Dare in his book "Guerilla Journalism: Dispatches from the underground" described how in the 90s he visited the South African state TV and was stunned by what he saw. Immediately he knew NTA was operating in a dysfunctional state. He even made mention of a time when he went there (NTA) for a program, and only one Camera was functional. That was at NTA Abuja, the nation's capital.
With Nigeria's public debt at N26.215 trillion and the World Bank not willing to give loans to the country anymore is enough reason for the country to reduce public spending.
Now instead of sorting for ways to reduce the debt, the federal government is seeking other means of getting loan --including the $500 million.
It is clear that NTA's upgrade is long overdue but, the country is at a time right now when it needs to cautiously cut spendings by applying strictly the elementary topic of economics "Scale of Preference".
Qosim Suleiman is a Journalist. He can be reached on twitter @elqaxxee
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