AIT Shuts Down Lagos Operations Over Financial, Operational Crisis

The Lagos operations of Africa Independent Television (AIT), one of Nigeria’s foremost private broadcast networks, have been shut down following severe operational and financial constraints.

Sources within Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT, RayPower FM, and Faaji FM, confirmed that the management ordered the closure after it became impossible to sustain the Lagos office due to mounting maintenance costs and irregular staff payments. The shutdown, which took effect this week, has left many employees uncertain about their future, with reports of unpaid salaries spanning several months.

While AIT has ceased operations in Lagos, both RayPower FM and Faaji FM, which operate under the same ownership, are said to still be on air. The Lagos station, located in Alagbado, had served as one of AIT’s most active bureaus, functioning as a key production and news centre for national and international content.

Insiders disclosed that the decision followed weeks of internal discussions over the company’s worsening financial state and the rising costs of keeping the station operational amid Nigeria’s harsh economic climate. “The situation became unsustainable; there was no money to power generators or maintain equipment,” a staff member told reporters on condition of anonymity.

Founded by the late Chief Raymond Dokpesi, Daar Communications Plc was a trailblazer in private broadcasting and a pioneer in satellite television in Africa. However, in recent years, the company has struggled with declining advertising revenue, high operational expenses, and growing competition from online and digital media platforms.

The closure of AIT’s Lagos operations marks a significant setback for the station, which once played a prominent role in Nigeria’s television industry and was home to several of its flagship programmes and respected journalists.

As of press time, Daar Communications Plc had yet to release an official statement regarding the development.