Nigerian Guild of Editors wants import waivers for media industry
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has sought waivers for media organisations in the areas of newsprint, printing machines and other imported consumables in the industry to enable them stay in business.
The editors, led by Funke Egbemude, made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the office of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja.
Egbemode, while speaking with State House Correspondents after the editors’ closed-door meeting with the Vice President, lamented the dire circumstances in the industry, saying that not being non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the media also require interventions to stay afloat.
She assured that the media would remain professional in the discharge of their duties despite the odds in the industry.
“We are businesses and a sector of the economy. So, we came to talk about this sector and opportunities available for us as businesses.
“We are leaders in the newsroom as editors and we want to partner, we want opportunities to train and re-train. We also came to talk about the distress in the industry.
“Yes, we are professionals, we know what to do. We have a job to do, we will do it without fear or favour but we are also businesses, we are tax-payers, we pay pension and do every other thing that businesses do. So, why is it that we support everybody, every sector and can we get support also as businesses? Our discussions were fruitful.”
“He (Vice President) has told us areas we can explore as a sector and that when we start working on them, it is possible that certain projects in the media can be looked at by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for intervention,” she said.
The NGE president dismissed fears that when government supports the industry, it would expect complete patronage from the media.
Egbemude, who also spoke on what the Guild and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) were doing to check quacks in the industry, said: “It is a permanent effort. Everywhere, there are originals, so, there will be attempt to create fake. When you are doing something good, people will want to imitate you. So, the fact that there are quacks means that there is something good about journalism that people want to benefit from. So, we are constantly collaborating, we have a database, NUJ has a database and we just need to continue on this.”
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