…Plans to launch Media Trust Fund
The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has raised concern over the lack of newsprint companies and the high cost of printing newspapers in the country.
Speaking at the end of its 2023 Annual General Meeting, the President of the Association, Kabiru A. Yusuf, said the condition of the newspaper business in Nigeria is alarming. He said that the lack of newsprint production in the country is affecting the newspaper business.
The association also urged the Federal Government to revive the nation’s economy to cushion the hardship and suffering of Nigerians.
It said: “Now that elections are over and the government has been constituted, the Federal Government should move speedily with its economic reform programme and provide the much-needed succour to the long-suffering Nigerians within the shortest time possible.
“It is concerning that a nation of Nigeria’s size and youthful population lacks a robust paper culture for the education and mobilization of its citizens. The analysis revealed the alarming condition of the newspaper business in Nigeria, highlighting the concerning fact that no newsprint is produced locally.
“This underscores the urgent need for the Federal Government to review its policies on the paper industry, aiming to promote both education and the development of the newspaper sector. The NPAN added that the poor state of the newspaper industry indexes a poor democratic state as studies have shown a correlation between strong democracies and strong print media. The 10 best-performing economies globally combine strong political culture with a vibrant print media.
“The Association welcomed the birth of the Media Ombudsman, a collaboration of the NPAN, Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Media NGOs and Daria Media, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, to work on ethics and self-regulation by the media.”
It expressed delight that the Ombudsman had started work and is already receiving complaints from the public. The NPAN is very optimistic that the success of the Ombudsman will widen the scope of self-regulation and ward off the predatory advocates of a government-controlled press with the concomitant encroachment on free speech.
NPAN also announced its intention to launch a Media Trust Fund, which aims to provide support to important aspects of the media, including the Ombudsman. This initiative is intended to strengthen and enhance the media landscape in Nigeria.