ANEC 2024: Tinubu applauds media for 25-year uninterrupted democracy

President Bola Tinubu has applauded the role of the media in the fight to enthrone democracy in Nigeria and the successes recorded over 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, saluting their longstanding legacy of deeply committed contributions to nation-building.

The President said the democracy that Nigeria enjoys today would not have been possible without the media, as he saluted media personalities and individuals whose collective efforts have continued right up to today as the country celebrates a quarter-century of unbroken democratic experience.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the All Nigerian Editors Conference (ANEC) in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday, President Tinubu said, as someone who was privileged to be deeply involved in the pro-democracy struggle, with a front-row view of how it played out, he will always acknowledge the very important role of the media in that struggle.

He said, “Indeed, in this room are many veteran journalists who played very important roles in ushering in the age of enduring democracy in Nigeria. I salute your individual and collective efforts, not just at that time, but right through to today, as we celebrate a quarter of a century of unbroken democratic experience.

“In any thriving democracy, the roles of the government and the media are intertwined, both essential in serving the public interest. And of course, the media has a duty to hold elected and appointed officials accountable and ensure that we are doing our work in a manner that strengthens democracy—not weakens it. That important work must be done in a spirit of mutual respect and collaboration, not recrimination and opposition; this alignment enables us to achieve common goals that benefit society at large.

“Indeed, our roles are most effective when they are not adversarial but cooperative. By viewing each other as allies in nation-building, we can create an environment where transparency, accountability, and mutual respect thrive. Together, the government and the media can empower citizens, strengthen democratic institutions, and build a more informed and resilient society.

“As we gather to discuss a theme that is both timely and urgent, ‘Economic Growth and Development Strategies in a Resource-Rich Country,’ we find ourselves at a critical juncture in our nation’s journey toward sustainable growth and prosperity.”

On the reforms and the economy, the President said the nation’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has drastically reduced from 100% to 65% through the sustained reforms his administration has made over the past eighteen months, which are gradually allowing the economy to rebound on the most important foundational level.

He stated that his administration has spent the last eighteen months laying the foundation for a compelling vision of a prosperous Nigeria, as his government aims to rekindle the faith and hope of all Nigerians in the ability of their country to flourish and provide an environment that allows everyone in it to thrive.

He further explained that while oil remains a significant source of revenue for Nigeria, the nation is also investing heavily in other sectors to diversify the economy for sustainable growth, including the launch of the Presidential Initiative on CNG. This initiative is a deliberate strategy to harness abundant gas resources to bring down transportation costs by about 60% and foster a clean and healthy environment for citizens.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, which is “Economic Growth and Development Strategies in a Resource-Rich Country,” the President said Nigeria finds itself at a critical juncture in its journey toward sustainable growth and prosperity.

He said, “Nigeria is richly endowed with human and natural resources that could place us among the world’s most prosperous nations. The age-old question, however, is: How do we translate these resources into meaningful growth and development?

“This is the question I believe Nigerians elected me to answer decisively, eighteen months ago. And it is the question that has fueled my vision for a country that truly lives up to its full potential, that leaves none of its people behind in poverty and disease, and that is overwhelmingly respected on the global stage.

“The last eighteen months have been spent laying the foundation for this compelling vision of a prosperous Nigeria. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about—rekindling the faith and hope of all Nigerians in the ability of their country to flourish and to, in turn, provide an environment that allows everyone in it to flourish just as much.

“Two of the most significant decisions we have made are well-known to you: a ruinous fuel subsidy regime that deprived us of billions of dollars annually that could have gone into investments in critical physical and social infrastructure, and a foreign exchange regime that was prone to unimaginable levels of arbitrage and abuse. Like the fuel subsidy, another needless drain on our limited national resources, and a cap on our ability as a nation to reach full potential.

“These and other fiscal and macroeconomic burdens have inspired us to undertake one of the boldest programs of economic reform in Nigeria’s history, with the goal of shifting from a consumption-based economy to a production-oriented one.

“I am pleased to let you know that through our sustained reforms, we are witnessing our economy gradually making a rebound on the most important foundational level. Today, our debt service-to-revenue ratio has come down drastically from almost 100% to about 65%.

“Similarly, the revenues accruing to the three tiers of Government—Federal, State, and Local Government—have grown exponentially, with more funds going into the provision of social services and investment, as well as the provision of infrastructure and social security.

“The local government autonomy granted by the Supreme Court based on the suit filed by the Federal Government was aimed at strengthening the governance structure at the local level and promoting grassroots development.

“A new minimum wage of N70,000 has taken effect across all federal government establishments, with many state governments committed to implementing the same. Over 46,000 students are benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund across 59 tertiary institutions, with a disbursement of over N5 billion. The first batch of 500,000 civil servants is set to become beneficiaries of the Consumer Credit Scheme with the release of N100 billion.

“While oil remains a significant source of revenue for Nigeria, we are investing heavily in other sectors to diversify our economy for sustainable growth. The launch of the Presidential Initiative on CNG is a deliberate strategy to harness our abundant gas resources to bring down the high cost of transportation by about 60% and also foster a clean and healthy environment for our citizens. This initiative has unlocked close to $200 million in private sector investments in the last year,” he said.

Chairman of the Conference and Chairman/Editor-in-Chief of Thisday and Arise Groups, Mr. Nduka Obiagbena, urged Editors to support the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to him, the future can be better if the reforms are given the support they deserve, adding that the poor should be provided with the necessary palliatives to survive the reforms.

He said that if Nigeria is fixed, the country would be in a better position to compete favourably with other nations.

He added that to move forward, the four refineries managed by the NNPC must work to create competition with the only functioning refinery owned by the Dangote Group.

According to him, there is a need to support domestic refining of petroleum products, adding that if the Dangote refinery…

Also speaking, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, decried a situation where Bayelsa, as a major contributor to Nigeria’s oil and gas production, still faces severe environmental challenges and economic hardship.

He said the nation must rethink the outdated idea that states have rights to surface land while the federal government monopolizes valuable underground resources.

Veteran journalist and publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Sam Amuka, says the media industry is in distress following the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy on the transportation sector.

Amuka noted that revenue from newspaper sales can no longer sustain transport costs, adding that the newspaper business was on the verge of extinction and regretted that online editions were not the same as hard copies.

He noted that advertising revenue, which often supported newspaper sales, has dwindled.

He observed that the once-ubiquitous newspaper vendors have disappeared due to a drop in patronage.

Amuka applauded the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Eze Anaba, for the survival of Vanguard.

“Without Eze, there would be no Vanguard. Vanguard would have been dead. With his resilience, Vanguard has continued to be on the streets because we have to publish.

“If we don’t publish, we will be an online publication, and that will not be good.

“What the newspaper proprietors earn now is not enough to transport the papers,” Amuka said.

He regretted that due to the economic hardship, most colleagues can no longer afford to fuel their cars and now resort to pooling resources to fuel each other’s cars for use.

Earlier, Chief Segun Osoba, a veteran journalist and former governor of Ogun State urged Editors to resolve the leadership crisis bedevilling the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).

He noted that the crisis had been so deep that in the past two years, the NUJ had not held elections and urged the NGE to intervene.