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• Press freedom non-negotiable under Tinubu – Shettima
The International Press Institute (IPI), Nigeria, has honoured the Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Ajayi, for being media friendly.
The institute, on the other hand, listed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Governors Umaru Bago of Niger and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, in its Book of Infamy.
President of IPI, Nigeria, Mr Musikilu Mojeed, made the announcement in Abuja, while unveiling the book titled, “Accountability for Journalists’ Rights” at the 2025 IPI Nigeria Annual Conference and General Meeting, yesterday.
According to Mojeed, since Ajayi assumed office, the DSS has diverted from its old ways of coercion, adoption, intimidation and harassment of journalists in the country.
He noted that the DSS, at the moment, upholds press freedom, adding that the D-G has shown restraint and willingness to engage and dialogue.
“Meanwhile, Egbetokun reactions to protesters and journalists demonstrated the lack of media friendliness.
“He allowed systematic oppression of journalists through unnecessary arrests by the police, right under his watch.
“Governor Bago on the other hand recently and unconstitutionally, without following due process ordered the closure of a radio station, Badegi FM, in Minna over a broadcast he personally felt was not favourable to him.
“Governor Eno made the black book list for expelling two Channels TV workers from their duties at the Government House in Uyo.
“He undemocratically stopped them from carrying out their constitutional duties.
“These actions are direct attacks on the journalists, freedom of speech and the media.”
According to Mojeed, the IPI Nigeria had written to them and engaged them on the issues when they occured, but they remained adamant and showed no willingness to correct the wrongs.
Mojeed listed criteria for blacklisting as contained in the guideline to include, unlawful arrests and detention, physical assault, obstruction, harassment, intimidation and threats.
He, however, explained that where a listed individual or organisation demonstrates genuine remorse and issues a written apology to IPI Nigeria, the concerned journalist and the media organisation may consider delisting such an individual or entity.
“This will be done after thorough review, such an application for delisting may take one calendar year to be reviewed and resolved.”
The Federal Government also restated its commitment to fighting fake news and disinformation without policing or silencing the press.
Speaking at the event, the minister narrated a recent event which demonstrated the Tinubu administration’s “restraint, transparency, and principled defence of the information space”.
Idris recalled a widely circulated false report that claimed Nigeria had entered an agreement obligating it to adopt LGBTQ+ rights.
He said in addressing the delicate issue, government chose openness over coercion, presented the facts to the public and engaged independent media regulators to ensure the misinformation was neutralised without undermining press liberty.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured that press freedom remains a non-negotiable pillar of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He gave the assurance at the 2025 Conference and Annual General Meeting of the IPI Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
Theme of the conference is ”Addressing Media Repression and Safeguarding Democratic Accountability in Nigeria.
“Shettima described Nigerian journalists as the nation’s primary defence against authoritarian rule.
He, specifically, said journalists have played a stabilising role during moments of national tension by correcting misinformation and holding power to account.
Shettima affirmed the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to protecting media practitioners from harassment and intimidation.
“We owe you a space of practice devoid of harassment, intimidation, or fear. That much is non-negotiable.
“As a government, we must continue to create an environment where truth can thrive without obstruction and where the work you do is protected rather than policed.”
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Shettima commended Nigeria’s media community for its historical resilience in confronting authoritarian tendencies.
The Vice-President stated that a successful dictatorship is impossible in the country due to the press’s vigilance.
“It is impossible, utterly impossible, to have a successful dictator in Nigeria.
“Never in our history has any person or government succeeded in suppressing the media permanently.”
He particularly commended journalists for standing firm against foreign information manipulation and interference, noting their refusal to surrender to disinformation campaigns.
“You have stood firmly against disinformation and refused to surrender your pens to falsehoods or foreign puppeteers. This honourable stance sets you apart.
“I stand before you today not as a wary politician, but as a friend, one who acknowledges your indispensable role and assures you that this administration respects, and will continue to protect, your right to freedom of expression,” he stated.
Shettima, however, challenged the media practitioners to maintain ethical standards, warning against those who fabricate stories and refuse retractions when confronted with evidence.
He called for a professional culture that elevates “verification above virality and nationhood above nihilism.
“You have stood firm in the coldest nights of national adversity, and you have outlived those who attempted to place their boots upon your freedom.
”You have been the life-size mirror of our nation, reflecting us not as we wish to be seen, but as we truly are.”
Shettima warned that, a nation with a silenced press, becomes one where public officers lose their way, and citizens lose their voice.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reaffirmed the commitment of the Tinubu administration to the enhancement of press freedom and independent journalism practice in Nigeria.
He noted that media-government relations are being reinvigorated and redefined under the present administration.
The minister described President Tinubu and his vice, Shettima as “some of the most media-friendly leaders Nigeria has produced.”
Idris said the responsibility and commitment of the present leadership of the Nigerian media must be to uphold the presentation of facts.
He assured that the Tinubu administration will continue to operate on the fundamental principle of an independent press in acknowledgement of the fact that a free press is the amplifier of an engaged citizenry.
The minister said agencies of government, both security and regulatory, operate under strict protocols during civil demonstrations.
He noted that the federal government remained resolute in balancing national security with media freedom, particularly in addressing misinformation and related complexities.
He assured that the administration’s approach is not a retreat into control but to create mechanisms for dialogue and ethical reporting within Nigeria’s own cultural context for the media.
The IPI Nigeria President, Mr Misikilu Mojeed, said the conference served as a platform for critical reflection on the state of journalism in Nigeria.
He added that the event would enhance practice and safeguard the lives of journalists, as participants are expected to adopt a call to action centred on media reform.
He called for collective action by journalists to address challenges confronting their interests, noting that “solidarity is the journalists’ greatest line of defence.”
Mojeed urged the Federal Government to call state governments, security agencies and other actors to order, curb incessant harassment of journalists, and strengthen the mechanism for their safety across Nigeria and beyond.
The Executive Director, IPI Global, Scott Griffen, commended IPI Nigeria for its commitment to press freedom and independent journalism in Nigeria and beyond.
He called for genuine collaboration among stakeholders in the country in promoting and enhancing independent journalism in Nigeria in the face of daunting challenges.
