FG to International Media: Always Balance Your Reports on Nigeria

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The federal government has asked international media outlets to adhere to the principles of accuracy, fairness and objectivity in reporting on issues concerning Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, echoed this appeal at a parley with a delegation from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in his office in Abuja.

 He stressed the importance of balanced and unbiased reporting and highlighted that while Nigeria, like any other country, faces challenges, it is crucial for the international media to provide a complete and nuanced portrayal, rather than focusing solely on negative aspects.
The minister noted that while the policy thrust of the Tinubu Administration remains upholding the freedom of the press, the government expects the international media organizations to express due diligence in their reportage.

“We will also urge you to continue to balance your stories to hear our own side of the story. It’s not only bad things that come out of Nigeria, there are a lot of good things and I’m sure your correspondents on ground would have seen that we have a lot of positive things that we are doing in this country and there is a gradual progression towards prosperity that we are seeing.

“I want to share with you the commitment of the Nigerian Government to every news gathering organization. Our commitment is that we want to stay as focussed and unbiased and as free as possible,” he said.
He also acknowledged that the Nigerian government has not received any reports concerning the harassment of journalists working for international media outlets in the country.

Idris commended BBC for its foresight in moving the studio of the Hausa Service from London to Abuja, where the audience and the markets are, stressing that the brilliant initiative has led to the engagement of about 200 Nigerians working for the BBC across the country.
He saluted the BBC for embarking on capacity building for some journalists working for the public media organizations and appealed to the British broadcaster to extend a similar gesture to the private media outlets.

In his remarks, the Director, Global News and Deputy CEO of the BBC, Mr. Jonathan Munro, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time, said he was highly delighted by the reputation of the BBC in the country.

He said the BBC has expanded into multimedia platforms in Nigeria and it’s now broadcasting in Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba to reach the country’s diverse audiences.

Munro also described Nigeria as a global power, noting that about 30 million people visit the news services of the BBC in Nigeria every week, making Nigeria the third international marketing audience for the BBC after the USA and India.