President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on Friday his intention to address tariffs on newspaper and broadcasting materials to empower the media industry to fulfill its constitutional role effectively.
Speaking at the State House, the President hosted a high-level delegation of media leaders, including representatives from the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Nigeria Guild of Editors, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists.
During the meeting, President Tinubu commended media owners and journalists for their dedication to informing the public and providing livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians.
Reflecting on his first year in office, the President acknowledged the difficult decisions his administration made to prevent national bankruptcy.
He thanked the media for their initial criticisms, stating that such challenges inspired him to stay the course.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time. We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink. Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back,” the President remarked.
Regarding specific requests for intervention on industry tariffs, the President assured the delegation that he would revisit any necessary rectifications to support the sector.
He also urged the media to extend their demands for accountability and service delivery to other tiers of government, noting that federal reforms have significantly increased the funds available to state and local federating units.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed confidence in the President’s visionary leadership, while NPAN Grand Patron, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, lauded the administration’s transformative economic policies, such as the National Single Window.
Additionally, Mr. Frank Aigbogun, Publisher of BusinessDay and President of the NPO, sought federal intervention regarding import duties and the protection of local editorial content from uncompensated use by global big tech companies.
