President Bola Tinubu has promised to examine and address import tariffs on newsprint and broadcasting materials to strengthen the Nigerian media sector and enable it to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities more effectively.
The President made the commitment on Friday during a meeting at the State House with leaders of major media bodies, including 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.
President Tinubu praised media owners, editors, and journalists for their role in informing and educating citizens, providing employment, and sustaining livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians.
He described responsible leadership as the willingness to make tough but timely decisions, defending the bold economic reforms his administration implemented to avert national bankruptcy.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time,” he said. “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.”
He thanked the media for their early criticisms, which he said challenged and inspired him during a critical period. “We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink,” Tinubu added, pointing to inherited challenges such as unpaid airline ticket refunds, volatile exchange rates, and runaway inflation.
“Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back from the brink.”Addressing the media’s specific request for tariff relief, the President stated: “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 encouraged the media to continue holding all tiers of government accountable, noting that federal reforms have increased funds available to states and local governments for grassroots development.
Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris commended the President’s resilience and visionary leadership, assuring him of the media’s high expectations for continued national progress.
He urged practitioners to remain responsible while demanding accountability from leaders at every level.
Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Grand Patron of NPAN, applauded the Tinubu administration’s transformative policies, including the creation of the Nigeria Revenue Service and the National Single Window initiative, which he said would significantly boost national revenue.
He also praised the President for urging governors to use increased federal allocations to improve citizens’ lives at the grassroots.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Press Organisation, its president and BusinessDay publisher Frank Aigbogun thanked President Tinubu for his longstanding cordial relationship with the media.
He renewed the call for intervention on import tariffs affecting newsprint and broadcast equipment, and urged protection of journalists’ jobs and the industry from big tech platforms that exploit Nigerian editorial content without compensation.
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