Opinion
Western Media And Africa’s Dev
Information, according to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (6th Edition), is defined as facts or details about somebody or something. Indeed, in Africa, the Western Media is seen to be carriers of deforming and negative information when it comes to Africa’s issues. To some extent, that is not true. It is appalling to hear such in this dispensation of global advancement in information technology.
African leaders and their citizens must tell themselves the simple truth to avoid blaming the Western media when some urgent and life threatening information is aired by the foreign media about Africa and its leaders.
The media houses in Africa have not been given greater autonomy to report issues the way they see. The media houses are made incapable of carrying out their operations based on lack of funds. Because of poor funding, they are not able to meet their obligations to the uninformed in African society.
It is laughable to see some African leaders attacking Western media for revealing some dirty secrets that their citizens ought to know about without outside interference. Almost every African leader has houses, foreign bank accounts and investments in Europe, America and China etc. And when the Western media beam their searchlight on their activities abroad, they run home confused, and instigate their citizens against offshore media houses, while they have weakened the indigenous media houses not to be alive to their duties in information dissemination.
It is a known fact that the British Broadcasting Corporation, (BBC), Voice of America, (VOA), Cable Network News (CNN) and Aljazeera, for example, spend billions of dollars to get information around the world. Indeed, the Western media have their correspondents around the world who are reporting up-to-date information or happenings to humanity. One stunning revelation about the Western media is that they don’t hide the secret dealings of their leaders. The Western media beam their searchlight on the World Bank President about paying his girl friend more than other staff which led to his resignation.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) president was reported to have raped a girl some years ago. And the revelation made him to resign. But in Africa, the reverse will be the case. There will be unnecessary attacks and intimidation on the media. It is believed that these blames on Western media show how insensitive and unpatriotic African leaders are to their media houses.
The crisis in Libya was given prompt attention by the Western media in reporting the activities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Former President Bill Clinton’s sexual saga with Monica Lewinsky was broadcast by Western media and not African media. So, why are African leaders accusing Western media of reporting negative things about Africa?
Former President Barrack Obama once announced how American troops would be gradually withdrawn from Afghanistan. American press and global media embarked on intensive reporting of the gradual withdrawal statement made by Obama. Without functional and vibrant media, some parts of the world would remain incommunicado and in mental slavery. No good democratic nation can do without the press.
Sometime ago, an artist who was arrested in China was released based on media attacks on the Chinese authority. When secrets that the public should know of are kept secret, it gives room to maladministration and corruption. Through a vibrant press, the United States of America and Chinese economic strategies are revealed to the world about who becomes the next economic giant.
The African continent should not be seen as a continent of mediocrities because of the nefarious activities of some of our leaders. A situation where a government would sanction or order the media not to report the misery and sufferings of its citizens to the outside is sheer wickedness and unpatriotic. Apartheid in South Africa was defeated with the effort of the media. For instance, when Nelson Mandela was arrested, the press cried out for the outside world to know.
Indeed, 90 per cent of our radio programmes aired in the country is music. It is high time our electronic media emulated the Western media, despite the negative criticism. The radio houses that run 24-hour service play music throughout the night especially from 12 midnight down. We don’t hear up-to-date news after midnight.
African press should not wait for Western media to report events happening in the continent. The bomb blast at the police headquarters in Abuja was a thing of pity. Instead of the Nigerian press to be the authority in reporting the incident, Nigerians were getting detailed reports from the BBC, CNN and VOA. And to worsen everything, there were contradicting reports of the ugly incident. Some said it resulted from suicide bombing and others said it was not. What was so sacred about the incident that Nigerians should not know?
Mental slavery in terms of hoarding of information from the masses is causing political and economic hazard. If a lion killed a goat in America, the whole world would hear. In Africa it is a taboo to report that there are pot holes on our roads. There was a time a two-legged water bird called penguin missed its way to New Zealand, and the Western media aired it to the whole world.
In some parts of Africa, people are dying of hunger and the government is suppressing and intimidating the press not to disclose such to the world. These actions of some African leaders are threats to political and economic development of the continent. If the media report that there is no pipe-borne water in the cities of Africa, the report is seen as a negative one against the continent. If there is a report that there is epileptic power supply in Nigeria, the government would stoutly refute the information. Who is deceiving who?
As a matter of fact, there should be empowerment of the media houses to disseminate useful information by the government that would help develop the political and economic policies of Nigeria and, indeed Africa. Nigeria can achieve real economic and political development, if there are people-oriented policies.
The time for African leaders to change for the better has come. The lesson that African leaders should learn from Western media’s negative reporting of events in Africa is to sit up and change their leadership styles.
Ogwuonuonu, a public affairs analyst, resides in Port Harcourt.
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
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