PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed veteran media executive and sports broadcasting pioneer, Rotimi Richard Pedro, as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in a sweeping leadership shake-up aimed at repositioning the nation’s flagship broadcaster.
The announcement also came with a series of high-profile appointments: Karimah Bello will serve as Executive Director of Marketing, Stella Din as Executive Director of News, and Sophia Essahmed as Managing Director of NTA Enterprises Limited.
Pedro, a Lagos-born media entrepreneur, brings close to three decades of leadership experience in broadcasting, sports rights management, and marketing communications across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
A trained entertainment and intellectual property lawyer, he also holds a Master of Science degree in Investment Management and Finance from City University Business School, London.
In 1995, Pedro founded Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), a trailblazing sports content provider that distributed marquee events such as the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup, and CAF competitions to over 40 countries across Africa.
He has held senior roles at Bloomberg Television Africa and Rapid Blue Format, and has consulted for global brands including FIFA, UEFA, Fremantle Media, and the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB).
Pedro was instrumental in helping the AUB secure exclusive pan-African free-to-air rights for all CAF competitions, a move widely credited with transforming sports broadcasting on the continent.
Over the years, Pedro has earned a reputation for building commercially viable broadcast platforms, boosting sponsorship revenues, and delivering high-quality content to audiences.
His leadership is expected to bring a strategic mix of creative programming, commercial sustainability, and global-standard production to the NTA.
Industry watchers say his appointment signals a government-backed push to modernise the NTA, strengthen its competitive edge, and adapt to Nigeria’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
The appointment is one of the most significant leadership changes at NTA in recent years and is seen as part of the Tinubu administration’s broader vision to revitalise national media institutions.
With Pedro at the helm supported by Bello, Din and Essahmed, expectations are high that the NTA will embrace innovation, expand its reach, and reclaim its position as a leading voice in African broadcasting.
