MRA warns against rising media repression
Vice President Kashim Shettima has applauded Nigerian journalists for their steadfast defence of the nation’s democracy, praising the media for resisting external manipulation and ensuring that authoritarianism never took root in the country.
Speaking yesterday at the 2025 Conference and Annual General Meeting of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria in Abuja, themed: ‘Addressing Media Repression and Safeguarding Democratic Accountability in Nigeria’, Shettima described the Nigerian press as the country’s “first and final line of defence” against dictatorship.
He assured that press freedom remains a non-negotiable commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration, stressing that no government in Nigeria’s history has ever succeeded in permanently suppressing the media.
Shettima commended journalists for their stabilising role during periods of national tension, noting that the media have consistently countered misinformation, exposed manipulation, and held power to account. He described the government’s duty as one of protection, not intimidation.
While praising the press, the Vice President also challenged journalists to uphold higher ethical standards, urging them to prioritise verification over sensationalism and nation-building over nihilism.
Earlier, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to strengthening press freedom, describing the President and Vice President as among the most media-friendly leaders the country has produced.
IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, called for greater solidarity among journalists, warning that collective action is essential to protect media practitioners from harassment. He urged the Federal Government to rein in state actors responsible for recurring violations of press rights.
Executive Director of IPI Global, Scott Griffen, lauded IPI Nigeria’s contributions to global press freedom efforts and called for deeper collaboration among stakeholders to advance independent journalism amid growing challenges.
HOWEVER, the Federal Government dismissed insinuations that the current administration is clamping down on press freedom, insisting that the available evidence does not support claims of media repression.
Idris, who made the distinction, said the theme of the event, ‘Addressing Media Repression in Nigeria’, required honest interrogation against present realities. He stressed that the Tinubu administration considers a free and critical press as indispensable to democracy.
MEANWHILE, the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has warned that the escalating repression of journalists threatens Nigeria’s democracy and violates clear constitutional directives.
Its Executive Director, Edetaen Ojo, gave the warning at the 2025 Annual Congress and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria in Abuja.
In his keynote address, Ojo said the Constitution assigns the media a mandatory oversight role that governments have repeatedly undermined.
Ojo anchored his remarks on Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution, describing it as a very robust provision that places responsibility on the press to uphold transparency, ensure accountability and act as a check on governmental power.
He stressed that the Constitution states that the media “shall at all times be free to uphold” these duties, making press freedom a mandatory requirement rather than a privilege subject to government discretion.
He added that, despite being non-justiciable, the entire Chapter 11, which governs the principles of the State, assigns the media the role of enforcing accountability on behalf of the public.
