Services, Media, and Entertainment Growth Despite the Economy

Services, media, and entertainment growth looks strange at first. Prices are high. Money is tight. Yet these sectors keep expanding. New service businesses pop up every week. Content creators are still earning. Events still sell out. Streaming, music, and live experiences continue to attract spending.This is not luck. It is behaviour.

According to the Lagos Business School Breakfast Session report from November 2025, Nigeria’s media and entertainment sector is projected to keep growing over the next few years, driven by digital access, lifestyle spending, and cultural demand. In simple terms, people have adjusted how they spend, not stopped spending.

Let’s bring it home by using familiar statistics. In the movie industry (Nollywood), FilmOne, a film’s distribution company, announced Behind The Scene, a movie by Funke Akindele, to be the “fastest film in West Africa to cross N1bn plus” as of December 29, 2025.

To understand why, you have to look beyond income and focus on how economic pressure changes priorities.

Spending Does Not Stop Under Economic Pressure, it Shifts

While it’s true that the economy is tight, it’s also true that people do not stop spending. They only adjust and change how they spend. At its core, basic essentials come first, but after that, spending flows toward things that offer relief, meaning, or convenience.

This is where services, media, and entertainment step in. For instance, services help people save time and reduce stress. Media and entertainment help people cope, escape, connect, and feel normal in an unstable environment.

Services, media, and entertainment growth is tied to this shift. People may delay buying big assets or investing in a long term goal but they still pay for what makes daily life easier or emotionally bearable.

Services are Solving Everyday Problems

Businesses in the service industry are growing because they remove daily friction. Think delivery, logistics, home services, digital support, outsourcing, education, and personal care. These are not luxury purchases. They are problem-solvers.

When time feels scarce and energy feels low, people pay for help. They outsource what they can. Additionally, they choose convenience over struggle.

For business owners, the lesson is that services that save time, reduce effort, or simplify life remain relevant even in a tough economy. That relevance fuels services, media, and entertainment growth more than price alone.

Media and Entertainment Offer Relief

Although, many still assume entertainment is optional, in reality, it is emotional infrastructure.
Music, film, comedy, social content, live events, and digital communities give people a sense of belonging and relief. They offer distraction from pressure and connection in uncertain times.

The LBS report points out that Nigeria’s entertainment and media sector continues to attract spending because it sits at the centre of culture. Culture does not pause because inflation is high. If anything, people lean into it more.

This explains why concerts, online content, and storytelling still pull attention and money. Services, media, and entertainment growth thrives because people protect what keeps them grounded.

Digital Access Keeps these Sectors Flexible

Another reason these sectors keep growing is accessibility. Digital tools have lowered entry barriers. Distribution is faster. Costs are more manageable. Audiences are easier to reach. A small service business can reach customers online. A media brand can build an audience without heavy infrastructure. Likewise, entertainment now travels through phones.

This flexibility allows quick adjustment to demand. When conditions change, these businesses pivot faster than traditional sectors. That agility supports services, media, and entertainment growth even when the economy feels unstable.

What Other Businesses Should Learn From This

You may be wondering, “Does that mean I should transition into any of the above sectors?” The right answer would be a resounding NO. The reason is because the biggest lesson here is not about service, media or entertainment. It is about relevance.

Businesses that grow in tough times understand what people need right now, not what they used to need. They meet customers where they already are, emotionally and practically. Services, media, and entertainment growth shows that demand does not disappear. It changes.Businesses that follow behaviour, not assumptions, stay visible.

If your offer reduces stress, saves time, builds connection, or feels meaningful, people will find room for it. In other words, craft your message around the emotional needs of your audience to stay relevant.
Looking ahead, these sectors are likely to keep growing, especially those that stay close to culture and daily life.

However, businesses that mistake attention for loyalty may struggle. Customers are selective even though value, trust and consistency still matter. Services, media, and entertainment growth will reward businesses that listen closely and adapt quickly. Those that ignore behaviour shifts may find themselves speaking to people who have already moved on.

Conclusion

Services, media, and entertainment growth is not an economic accident. It is a response to pressure. People are choosing what helps them cope, connect, and live better within their means. For business owners, this is a reminder. Growth is not always about more money in the system. Sometimes, it is about better understanding how people think when money is tight.

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