President Bola Tinubu has pledged to look into tariffs on newspaper and broadcasting materials in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s media industry and enable it to perform its constitutional role more effectively.
The President gave the assurance on Friday at the State House in Abuja while hosting the leadership of the Nigerian media, including representatives of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists.
Tinubu commended media owners, editors and journalists for their role in informing and educating the public, as well as providing employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerians.
The President noted that leadership requires making difficult decisions at the right time, acknowledging that his administration had to take tough steps to stabilise the nation’s economy.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time. I accepted my predecessor’s assets and liabilities because I applied for the job and was given the job. But if anybody tells you it is easy, it is a lie,” Tinubu said.
He thanked the media for its early criticism of his administration, saying it helped challenge and inspire him at a critical time.
According to the President, the country has begun to recover from its economic difficulties.
“Today, I can stand proudly before you and say that we are back from the brink,” he added, citing issues such as outstanding airline ticket reimbursements, foreign exchange volatility and inflation that his government inherited.
Responding to requests for government intervention on tariffs affecting the media industry, Tinubu assured the delegation that the matter would be reviewed.
“We discussed issues of tariffs this afternoon. If I missed taking action in areas that affect you, I will go back to rectify whatever is necessary,” he said.
The President also urged the media to extend its watchdog role to other tiers of government, noting that recent federal reforms have increased financial allocations to states and local governments.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed confidence in the President’s leadership and resilience, saying the Nigerian media expects his administration to steer the country toward lasting progress.
Speaking earlier, former Ogun State governor and Grand Patron of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Olusegun Osoba, praised the administration’s economic reforms, including the establishment of the Nigeria Revenue Service and the National Single Window policy, which he said could significantly boost national revenue.
Also speaking, Frank Aigbogun, publisher of BusinessDay and President of the Nigerian Press Organisation, commended Tinubu for maintaining a cordial relationship with the media and appealed for government intervention on import tariffs affecting newsprint and broadcast equipment.
Aigbogun also urged the federal government to help protect the jobs of journalists and the sustainability of media organisations in Nigeria, particularly in the face of growing competition from global technology companies that use editorial content from Nigerian media without compensation.