Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured Nigerian journalists that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remains an ally of the media and will continue to protect press freedom and promote the interests of journalism in the country.
The Vice President gave the assurance while receiving the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
Senator Shettima described the media as “the lifewire of the nation,” stressing that the government cannot afford to muzzle or intimidate journalists.
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“In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have a friend, an ally, and a proprietor who has been kind to the Nigerian media over the years,” Shettima said. “This administration will do its best to promote, project, and preserve the interests of the journalism profession.”
The Vice President noted that journalists play a crucial role in holding leaders accountable and shaping public discourse, adding that the profession stands “almost at par with the judiciary” in its responsibility to the nation.
He acknowledged the challenges facing media organizations, including financial constraints, and pledged to convey the NUJ’s demands to President Tinubu. These include protection of journalists, a review of colonial-era libel laws, and the establishment of safety protocols for reporters in collaboration with security agencies.
Earlier, NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, urged the Vice President to help defend press freedom and ensure that journalists are not punished for doing their constitutional duty.
He also called for the decriminalization of libel, as well as government support in the form of training grants, soft loans, tax reliefs, and a targeted bailout for struggling media institutions.
The NUJ President further proposed the creation of a Permanent Government–Media Liaison Platform under the Office of the Vice President to enhance communication and prevent misinformation.
Abdullahi pledged the support of the Nigerian press for the Tinubu administration’s development agenda while maintaining that the media would continue to “speak truth to power for the survival of democracy.”
He commended the federal government for what he described as bold and tangible reforms to stabilize the economy amid global economic challenges.
