LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The ongoing economic hardship in the country has led media owners, editors, and other stakeholders to call on President Bola Tinubu to save the nation’s media industry.
This came after President Tinubu urged media managers to focus on factual reporting and uphold professional integrity.
The stakeholders spoke at the All Nigerian Editors Conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with the theme: “Economic Growth and Development Strategies in a Resource-Rich Country.”
‘Biggest Threat to Media Survival Today is the Availability of Resource Materials’ – Anaba, NGE President.
Also, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Mr. Eze, highlighted that the unavailability of resource materials is one of the biggest threats to the media industry.
He said: “We are here because we recognize the critical role that both a strong economy and a resilient media sector play in fostering a prosperous, informed, and democratic society. Today, as editors, we stand at a crossroads where our decisions, priorities, and strategies will shape the future of our country and journalism.”
READ ALSO: Breaking: Tinubu Orders Immediate Release Of Minors Arrested In #EndBadGovernance Protests
He went further to say that the nation’s economic growth has a direct influence on the media sector as well as other sectors, and a strong economy will fuel innovations and opportunities for the media industry to expand and thrive.
“Media organizations face mounting pressure to adapt to modern trends while staying financially viable and maintaining journalistic integrity. The biggest threat to media survival today is the availability of resource materials to produce our papers or broadcast on our TV stations,” he stated.
He further noted that the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information, had promised to address the challenges faced by media organizations. Citing the Section 22 of Nigeria’s Constitution which mandates the media to hold the government to account, he expressed hope that there would be a resolution that would allow newspapers to continue practicing their profession effectively.
Chairman of the conference/Publisher of Thisday and Arise Television, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, said: “Nigeria is in a reset. We have reforms underway, and unlike others, I believe that the future can be better if we give these reforms a human face. We should support the reforms, stay the course, and ensure that the poor and vulnerable are supported.”
Mr. Sam Amuka, father of the day and Publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, highlighted the dramatic rise in the cost of newsprint, from N600,000 two years ago to over N2 million today. “This means that every day we publish a hardcopy newspaper, we don’t make any money; we lose,” he said.
READ ALSO: Australia To Ban Social Media Access For Children Under 16
In addition, Former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba urged the media guild to intervene in the leadership crisis affecting the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
President Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in his remarks emphasized the importance of the media in national development, saying: “As editors and media managers, your role in national development cannot be overemphasized. You are the custodians of public perception, the gatekeepers of information, and the voice of the people.”
Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State praised the media for its role in deepening democracy in Nigeria.
Vanguard
