.Assures confident signature initiatives ‘ll boost industrialisation, prosperity
.Bayelsa without electricity for 3 months–Gov Diri
.Business side of newspapers is dead, says Sam Amuka
.Make our refineries work, Obaigbena urges FG
Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
Mass media practitioners in Nigeria have been charged to view the government as allies in nation-building and serving the public good.
President Bola Tinubu who gave the charge in Yenagoa the Bayelsa state capital, at the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2024 Organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the conference is holding at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.
He emphasized the critical role both government and media play in any thriving democracy, noting that their responsibilities are interconnected in serving the public interest.
Tinubu was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi noted that there were signature initiatives of his administration, besides the Compressed Gas Initiative, aimed at bringing economic relief to Nigerians and boosting industrialisation and prosperity
The President said that the initiatives were yielding fruits and aimed to diversify the economy.
“While oil remains a significant source of revenue for Nigeria, we are investing heavily in other sectors to diversify our economy for sustainable growth.
“The launch of the Presidential Initiative on CNG is a deliberate strategy to harness our abundant gas resources.
“This is to bring down the high cost of transportation by about 60 per cent and also foster a clean and healthy environment for our citizens.
“This initiative has unlocked close to $200 million in private sector investments in the last one year,” he said.
Also addressing editors, Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa, who is also the Chief Host disclosed that
the state has been without electricity supply in the past three months, adding that his administration and the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, were working round the clock to restore the vandalised towers.
He said the state was working vigorously to establish its independent power plant, IPP to be powered by her huge natural gas reserves.
This year’s conference has the theme “Economic Growth and Development Strategies in a Resource-Rich Country,” and a Sub-Theme: “Good Practices for Viable/Sustainable Media Financing”.
According to Minister Idris, the media has a vital role in holding elected and appointed officials accountable, ensuring that work is done in a manner that strengthens democracy rather than undermining it.
He further emphasized that effective collaboration between the media and the government is essential to achieving common goals for the benefit of society. “Indeed, our roles are most effective when they are not adversarial but cooperative, viewing each other as allies in nation-building,” he said, advocating for an environment where transparency, accountability, and mutual respect thrive.
On his part Governor Diri, highlighted the historical significance of the media in democratic governance.
He noted that “the press has been recognized as the fourth pillar of democracy since the 17th century, playing a crucial role in educating, informing, and entertaining the public while shaping the national agenda and debates. “Democracy relies heavily on the press to thrive,” he affirmed.
He further stressed the importance of the media in promoting understanding and unity in a country marked by diverse ethnic nationalities and competing interests.
“In a world marked by global turbulence, the role of journalists as guardians of truth has never been more critical.
“Integrity remains the cornerstone of your profession,” he said, emphasizing that the media must build public trust to strengthen the foundations of a healthy democracy.
He also quoted Martin Luther King Jr., saying, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
He encouraged the editors to shine a light on injustices, reinforcing their essential role in society.
Lamenting the challenges facing newspapers publishers in the country including high cost of newsprint with a ton of the product costing N2million per ton, he said the business side of newspapers is dead.
He added that the problem had been compounded by the hardship in the country resulting on dwindling purchase power and inability of readers to buy newspapers.
He further disclosed that revenue from advertisement had declined drastically due to economic hardship.
“This week, I asked my financial controller how much revenue was generated and he said the copy sales was enough to pay for transportation costs”, he stated stressing that all Nigerians were negatively impacted by the removal of fuel subsidy.
Earlier, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, in his speech highlighted the mounting pressures faced by media organizations in adapting to modern trends while maintaining financial viability and journalistic integrity.
He expressed concern over the challenges posed by limited resources, which he argued represent the greatest threat to the survival of the media today.
“While we expected adapting to modern trends to be the biggest challenge, the reality is that a lack of resources to produce content for our newspapers and broadcast stations is now a more pressing issue,” Anaba remarked.
He noted that the federal government, through the Hon. Minister of Information, had expressed a commitment to resolving these challenges, and he hoped that newspaper publishers would eventually experience some relief, enabling them to practice their profession with greater ease.
Anaba also spoke on how the growth of the nation’s economy has impacted all sectors, including the media, and stressed that in today’s economic climate, media houses must be agile, innovative, and strategic.
However, even as they explore these strategies, they must not lose sight of their core mission to provide accurate, trustworthy, and independent information to the public.
“Sustainability is not just about economic survival; it’s about preserving the values and principles that make our profession a pillar of democracy,” Anaba stated.”
He cited Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates the media to hold the government to account, despite the challenges journalists face in meeting increasing demands. “The Constitution builds on us to hold the government accountable, and this responsibility should not be compromised,” he added.
He also reminded the gathering of the media’s crucial role in contributing to broader economic growth, an informed public, he pointed out, is empowered to make decisions that foster economic development, create jobs, and promote sustainability.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, in his intervention urged the editors to set up a committee to address the brewing crisis within the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
According to him, there is disputes over the tenure of the incumbent NUJ president, with some members challenging his extended stay in office, even taking the matter to court.
“As the most united group after the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), you are the only ones capable of intervening and resolving the crisis in the NUJ,” Osoba advised.
Nduka Obaigbena, Editor-in -Chief of Thisday Newspaper and Arise Group challenged the Nigerian Government to put the four refineries in the country to work in order to enable her checkmate the oil mafia in the countries.
He said the survival of Dangote Refinery should be of paramount importance to all Nigerians.
Obiagbena who spoke as chairman of the conference said that times are hard in the country now pleading with the Federal Government to alleviate the suffering of the people especially vulnerable in society.
He also advised journalists to learn how to cope with the current situation in the country.
“If we are going to use what ever means to deal with the oil mafia, we should keep our refineries alive. If you say you want to stop monopoly, then our four refineries must work. Let that four refineries compete with Dangote Refinery.
“We challenge Minister of information and Bayo Onanuga to get the refineries working. Every body is feeling the pains in the country. The time is hard but Nigeria journalists are harder so you have to be tough to cope with the time.
“I can see that the future can be better if we give President Tinubu’s reform a human face, we should support the reform but we must make sure that the vulnerables are supported”, he added.
