The Federal Government has restated its commitment to media freedom, transparency, and democratic engagement, insisting that no policy, formal or informal, exists aimed at repressing the press in Nigeria.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the declaration at the 2025 International Press Institute (IPI) Annual Congress and General Meeting held on Tuesday, December 2, in Abuja.
The minister, who described the media as “the central nervous system of any democracy and the amplifier of citizens’ voices,” said the Tinubu administration has consistently demonstrated openness to collaboration with journalists and press organisations.
“There is no government policy, formal or informal, that seeks to repress the media today,” Idris said. “Available evidence reflects restraint and cooperation rather than hostility.”
He explained that public dialogue about press freedom must be grounded in fact, adding that allegations of media repression under the current administration have no foundation.
“A dialogue on freedom must be grounded in fact. If anyone claims there is an active policy of repression today, we should test that claim against the evidence,” he added.
According to Idris, security agencies now operate under stricter guidelines to ensure journalists’ safety, especially during protests or in volatile environments.
Regulatory bodies, he said, also continue to uphold fairness and predictability for media organizations.
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“A free press is indispensable. Journalists must be able to work without intimidation or interference, and this government has been consistent on that point,” he noted.
The minister referenced a recent case in which a national newspaper published a false story claiming Nigeria had agreed to adopt LGBTQ+ rights.
Instead of resorting to punitive measures, he said the government responded with transparency.
“The Federal Government published the full text of the agreement, issued factual clarifications, engaged the public openly, and lodged complaints through the independent media ombudsman. We did not apply pressure or coercive measures. We chose facts,” he explained.
Idris also revealed that Nigeria had been selected to host the Regional Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute for Africa, a continental training centre for journalists, fact-checkers, and educators, aimed at promoting credible reporting and countering misinformation.
He said the Institute, scheduled for launch in early 2026, would function as a neutral, knowledge-based hub, not a government mouthpiece, to strengthen professional ethics and democratic communication across Africa.
Reaffirming the government’s readiness to work with the IPI, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Idris said the shared goal is to modernise regulatory frameworks for the media while defending free expression and the public interest.
“Our shared duty is not only to challenge repression but to expand freedom. Let us strengthen the foundations of our democracy by protecting the freedoms that sustain it,” the minister said.