The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris has described the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration a media friendly. He noted that the government does not molest or intimidate the media.
Idris, therefore, called on both the international and local media outlets to adhere to the principles of fairness, accuracy, and objectivity in their reporting on issues concerning Nigeria.
The Minister stated this when he received a delegation from the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, in his office on Thursday.
Addressing the group, Idris said the policy thrust of the Tinubu administration remains to uphold the freedom of the press. He, however, added that the Government expects international media organizations to exercise due diligence in their reportage. Therefore, emphasizing the importance of balanced and unbiased reporting.
The Minister also stated that Nigeria, like any other country, faces challenges, the international media must provide a complete portrayal. Rather than focusing solely on negative aspects of events.
He said, “We will also urge you to continue to balance your stories to hear our own side of the story. It’s not only bad things that come out of Nigeria; there are a lot of good things. And I’m sure your correspondents on ground would have seen that we have a lot of positive things that we are doing in this country. And there is a gradual progression towards prosperity that we are seeing.
“I want to share with you the commitment of the Nigerian Government to every newsgathering organization. Our commitment is that we want to stay as focused and unbiased and as free as possible,” he said.
Idris also acknowledged that the Nigerian Government has not received any reports concerning the harassment of journalists working for international media outlets in the country.
“The thrust of the policy of the Tinubu’s administration is that every news organization has the freedom to practice the profession. And I am happy you didn’t report to us any of your staff who has been molested. Or under any kind of pressure from the Nigerian government,” he said.
The Minister commended the foresight of the BBC in moving the studio of the Hausa Service from London to Abuja, where the audience and the markets are. He stressed that the brilliant initiative has led to the engagement of about 200 Nigerians working for the BBC across the country.
He expressed his pleasure in the enduring trust and mutual respect between the BBC and the Nigerian audience.
“The Nigerian people are actually partners with the BBC and this partnership goes back several decades. And that commitment to what we hear on the BBC and the respect and trust our people have, have been largely unbroken for the last five to six decades,” he said.
The Minister further saluted the BBC for embarking on capacity building for some journalists working for public media organizations. He, however, appealed to the British broadcaster to extend a similar gesture to private media outlets.
Responding, the Director, Global News and Deputy CEO of the BBC, Jonathan Munro, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Government. Munro said he is highly delighted by the reputation of the BBC in the country.
He said the BBC has expanded into multimedia platforms in Nigeria. This is even as the media is now broadcasting in Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba to reach the country’s diverse audiences.
Describing Nigeria as a global power, Munro, said about 30 million people visit the news services of the BBC in Nigeria every week. Thereby, making Nigeria the third international marketing audience for the BBC after USA and India.
source: Daily Post
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