Decision of the Federal Government to relocate certain departments of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to Lagos is part of a broader strategy to enhance operational efficiency, streamline processes and ensure responsive financial system for Nigeria and operations cost.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Malagi, said this at the grand finale of the press week organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Niger State Council, at Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi Conference Centre, Minna, at the weekend.
Represented by the Director General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Ndace, at the event with the theme, ‘Solution Journalism for the Development of Niger State’, explained that the government’s action aligns with global best practices and with no political motivation whatsoever, as strongly propagated.
Idris noted that President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to fairness and equitable development as outlined in his oath of office ensures that no policy under his administration is to the detriment of any region.
The information minister assured Nigerians that the government would continue to implement macroeconomic reforms to achieve broad economic objectives of sustained growth aimed at bringing down inflation to ease the cost of living, stabilising the foreign exchange and job creation.
He disclosed that Niger NUJ press week was the first to be attended by him since he assumed office and drew the attention of journalists to the hydra-headed menace of fake news ravaging the media space.
The minister enjoined journalists to rise against the elements of fake news deliberately designed to misinform Nigerians.
Earlier, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, had underscored the pivotal role the media played in shaping the narrative of Niger and the country at large, imploring media outlets and journalists across every strata to champion ethical and responsible reporting in their coverage of news events.
National President of NUJ, Dr Chris Isiguzo, noted that journalists are not just observers, but architects of positive change, adding that pens are not just for documentation, but catalysts for progress.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mamman, assured journalists that she could be approached at any time for fact-checking on government’s programmes and policies.
Chairman, Niger NUJ, Abu Nmodu, said the essence of the press week was to review the activities of the union of the previous year, noting that the celebration was also to set agenda to check the professional activities of members.
