Media entrepreneurs call on FG to provide tax incentives to prevent extinction
Media Entrepreneurs under the association of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) have called on the Federal Government to provide tax incentives to prevent the print media from going extinct.
The media entrepreneurs met in Abuja for a business luncheon to celebrate some of their colleagues who were recently appointed as ministers.
The members include: Mr Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Economy, Mr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Idris Malagi, Minister of Information and National Orientation, and Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy.
In attendance was veteran journalist and former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba; GM, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships of Nigerian NewsDirect, Mr Mathew Ibiyemi; Publisher of BusinessDay, Mr Frank Aigbogun, alongside other prominent media stakeholders.
The President of NPAN, Malam Kabir Yusuf, said that the media deserved to be supported because it played an integral role in national development.
Yusuf commended Tinubu for finding so many members of the association worthy to be appointed as ministers.
The Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, and life patron of NPAN, Mr Sam Amuka, said that it was commendable to have four of his colleagues as ministers.
He advised the ministers to represent the association well, urging them to use their influence in government to ensure a free press.
In his response, the Finance Minister, Wale Edun, assured the association that Tinubu’s economic reforms would be beneficial to all individuals and groups within the country.
Edun urged members of NPAN to support the government by being factual and objective in their reportage.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake described himself as an NPAN ambassador in government.
He urged journalists to be analytical and to always resist the temptation to peddle falsehood.
“Do not join the crowd to peddle falsehood,” he said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Malagi, described himself as the luckiest information minister in history.
Malagi said that his plan was to change the face of government communication.
“Trust in the communication coming out of government will be encouraged.
“I will not tell lies; I will say it the way it is. You people should also report it the way it is,” he said.
He said that the government would also take steps to restore the integrity of public broadcasting by equipping and empowering government-owned broadcast houses.
