Nation
Economic hardship: We will help you survive, Tinubu assures the media
Nigeria’s president, Bola Tinubu, has assured that his administration will do whatever it can to ensure that the media industry in the country continues to survive as a business.
The president who gave the assurance on Thursday at the ongoing All Editors’ Conference in Yenegoa, Bayelsa state, noted that the media play crucial role in democracy.
Tinubu who was represented by Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information, however, charged the media to always be responsible in its reportage.
“Let me say that the president is concerned and is willing to intervene to save the media industry, and make it a business,” the Minister said.
“The media owe itself a responsibility to credible and project itself as patriotic and factual in its duty. I appreciate the role of the media. Without it, democracy would not be possible. I say so because I was at the front row during the struggle for democracy.”
Continuing, he said, “In democracy, the role of government and media are cooperative, they are not mutually exclusive. They are allies working together to strengthen democratic institutions. Nigeria is blessed and has the potential to be great, but the question is how.
“This what the people elected me to address. Two major problems were fuel subsidy and forex subsidy. Both were ruinous and prone to abuse. We are making progress with debt to revenue dropping from almost 100% to about 65 %. We are investing heavily to improve production aimed at empowering Nigeria. For Instance, the CNG initiative has attracted $200m investment.”
Earlier, Mr. Sam Amuka, publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, lamented that publishing the hardcopy of newspaper, as a business is dead in the country.
He said, “Newsprint that used that used to cost N600k two years ago, now cost over N2m. The Vanguard only makes enough money for just transport of the newspaper. A business is set up to make money, but newspaper business, is no longer making money.
“The media has a constitutional role in governance to hold government accountable. Section 24 of the constitution gives the media for such role. But it cannot continue to do so if it is struggling to survive. We can set up several online media outlets, but still this does not vitiate the existence of the hard copy newspaper, which is usually for advertising. So, we appeal to the minister of information, Mr. Idris has take up to fight to save the industry. We need government intervention.”
