This paper has been prepared by GTZ’s Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme (EoPSD) in Abuja Nigeria as a result of work that it has embarked on in media development and local economic development. This work has built on similar work in other parts of Africa and focuses on developing radio programmes on business and local economic issues. EoPSD has supported the launch of two local programmes focused on the local economic issues of two northern states in Nigeria (Nasarawa and Niger States) and is in the process of supporting a third station to develop business programming. This has provided EoPSD with a working insight into the potential
role of mass media in supporting local economic development initiatives.

The paper aims to explore the potential and need to integrate mass media into the conceptual framework and implementation tools of LRED as defined by GTZ. As such the paper also aims to initiate discussion with and between LRED experts on the role of Mass Media in LRED.