Nigerian government doesn’t intimidate media – Minister

Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris has stated that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not molest or intimidate the media.

He 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.

Idris, who stated this when he received a delegation from the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, in his office on Thursday, said while the policy thrust of the Tinubu administration remains to uphold the freedom of the press, the government expects international media organisations to exercise due diligence in their reportage.

The minister emphasised the importance of balanced and unbiased reporting.

He highlighted that while Nigeria, like any other country, faces challenges, the international media must provide a complete portrayal rather than focusing solely on negative aspects.

“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 organisation. Our commitment is that we want to stay as focused and unbiased and as free as possible,” he said.

The minister 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 administration is that every news organisation 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.

Idris 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, stressing that the brilliant initiative has led to the engagement of about 200 Nigerians working for the BBC across the country.

The minister 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.

He further saluted the BBC for embarking on capacity building for some journalists working for public media organisations and appealed to the British broadcaster to extend a similar gesture to private media outlets.

In his remarks, the Director, Global News and Deputy CEO of the BBC, Mr Jonathan Munro, who is in Nigeria for the first time, 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 and is now broadcasting in Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba to reach the country’s diverse audiences.

Mr Munro, who described Nigeria as a global power, said about 30 million people visit the news services of the BBC in Nigeria every week, making Nigeria the third international marketing audience for the BBC after USA and India.