The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris yesterday insisted that the press in Nigeria is largely free.
He, however, maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will guarantee unfettered access to journalists. The Minister stated that the Federal Government will provide enabling environment for the media.
Idris stated that no single journalist has been incarcerated for practicing responsible journalism under the present administration. As a result, he maintained that the media is largely free in Nigeria.
The Minister, however, warned that spreading falsehood and misinformation is irresponsible journalism. He said that cannot be equated with press freedom.
The Minister made the disclosure while speaking at a press briefing organized by his ministry in Abuja. The event was in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management, and the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO). It was to commemorate this year’s World Press Freedom Day.
Speaking at the event, the Minister said: “I have not seen somebody in the life of this administration for example, who has been put in jail. Or who has gone into exile as a result of press freedom.
“We knew what has happened in this country in the past. Some decades ago, we know that you have to leave this country to be able to report. I can tell you that the press in Nigeria is largely free. But that freedom will further be consolidated if honesty and transparency are upheld in the manner that we report,” he said.
The Minister, however, called for a healthy reciprocity between the press and the present Administration.
He said, “As President Tinubu strives to position Nigeria as an attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment, the media must present a positive and accurate portrayal of the country to the international community.
While speaking on this year’s theme of World Press Freedom Day, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of Environmental Crisis,” Idris said the world is confronted by an environmental crisis of unprecedented magnitude, one that poses a threat not only to the planet but to the very future of humanity.
He said climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and resource depletion are not abstract concepts. But harsh realities that demand immediate and decisive action toward public mobilization and sensitization.
“It is our conviction, that Press freedom is not just a fundamental human right. It is also essential for environmental sustainability. Without a free and independent press, we cannot hope to address the complex environmental challenges we face.”
