Tinubu Promises To Address High Tariffs For Media Business …Calls For Greater Collaboration For National Dev

President Bola Tinubu has promised to address concerns on high tariffs of newsprint and broadcasting materials to enable the media industry to discharge its constitutional role effectively.

The President gave the promise at the State House, Abuja, where he hosted the leadership of the Nigerian media, comprising members of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Guild of Editors, and Nigerian Union of Journalists, among others.

The President, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, commended the media owners, editors and journalists for their commitment to informing, educating and keeping citizens abreast of developments, as well as providing employment and livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians.

He acknowledged the hard but critical decisions taken by his administration to save the nation from bankruptcy, saying responsible leadership must take appropriate decisions at the right time as anything to the contrary will amount to failure.

“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time. Yes, I accepted my predecessor’s assets and liabilities because I applied for the job and was given the job. So I have to do it. But if anybody tells you it’s easy, it’s a lie. I thank you for your criticisms at the beginning of the administration. You challenged me. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me at a critical moment in my life.

“But having asked for the job and got it, I can’t look back other than to make corrections as I move along. We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink. Can you imagine a nation that owes airlines for ticket reimbursements and faces galloping exchange rates and inflation?

“Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back from the brink”, he stated.

On the requests for his intervention on tariffs affecting the media industry, Tinubu said: “We discussed issues of tariffs this afternoon. What I cannot report back here is whether I took action in the areas that affect you. But if I missed that, I will go back to rectifying whatever was necessary.”

He commended the media for its constructive remarks and criticisms, adding that  as an ardent reader of Nigerian newspapers, he accepted all in good faith since “all of us want the best for this nation.”

The President called on the media to also demand accountability, development and service from other tiers of government, as federal government reform policies have made more funds available to the federating units.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed confidence in the President’s strength of character, resilience, and visionary leadership, assuring him that the Nigerian media have high expectations for his administration’s ability to steer the nation toward lasting progress.

The minister charged media practitioners to continue to discharge their constitutional role with responsibility while holding the government at all levels accountable to the people.

The Grand Patron of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Aremo Olusegun Osoba, commended the President for the bold steps his administration has taken towards transforming the nation’s economy.

Osoba lauded the establishment of the Nigeria Revenue Service and the National Single Window policy, both of which, he said, are capable of increasing the nation’s revenue profile.

He lauded Tinubu for charging the governors to ensure that the resources they receive through the monthly federal allocation are used to improve the lives of citizens at the grassroots.

The President of the Nigerian Press Organisation, and publisher of BusinessDay newspapers, Mr Frank Aigbogun, commended Tinubu for maintaining his longstanding cordial relationship with the media and sought his intervention on Import tariffs on newsprint and broadcast equipment.

Aigbogun also called on the Federal Government to intervene to protect the jobs of Nigerian journalists and the media industry as a whole from big tech companies that use editorial content sourced from Nigerian media without compensation.