Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, has enlisted the support of the media towards projecting the country positively to enhance investor confidence and attract the needed investments to foster economic growth in the country.
The President, who was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the remarks at the opening of the 19th All Nigeria Editors Conference, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Wednesday.
“Your role as a primary source of information and keeping the public informed about economic trends is cut out for you. Timely and accurate reporting helps businesses make informed decisions, fostering a conducive environment for growth.
“I urge you to provide positive media coverage that can enhance investor confidence and attract the needed investments that fuel economic development in our county. The media’s role in portraying a favorable business environment contributes to the stability of financial markets,” he said.
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President Tinubu said promoting discussions on stimulating economic growth in the country remains a central focus of his administration, and called for collaborative efforts of the Media Editors to sustain the discussions in alignment with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President, who acknowledged the immediate economic impact of the removal of fuel subsidy, said his administration has been taking all necessary measures to alleviate the resulting pain, through interventions that are designed to serve as palliatives in the short and medium term, as the nation awaits the long-term benefits of the reforms.
He listed some of the interventions as the provisional wage increment of N35,000 monthly for six months, to augment the federal minimum wage; the establishment of an Infrastructure Support Fund for States to invest in critical areas that will create an enabling environment for businesses, and the launch of a 100 billion Naira CNG bus rollout programme, to deliver CNG-powered buses, as well as the establishment of a Presidential Committee to drive implementation.
“With the signing into law of the 2023 Supplementary Budget, we have finalized the process for payment of a monthly Cash Transfer of N25,000 each to 15 million of the poorest and most vulnerable households in Nigeria, for three months.
“A presidential directive for releasing 200,000 metric tonnes of grains from strategic reserves to households across the 36 states and FCT to moderate prices, and 225,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, seedlings, and other inputs to farmers,” he said.
President Tinubu said against the backdrop of evident systemic moral decline over a long period, leading to the erosion of national values, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation (FMINO), is working to change the narrative in the country through the implementation of a sustained mass reorientation campaign that aims to foster unity, patriotism, and the promotion of positive cultural values among Nigerians.
The President called for the collective effort of the Media Editors to combat the menace of misinformation, disinformation, and false narratives that threaten the fabric of society through fact-checking, responsible reporting, and promoting media and digital literacy.
He extolled the founding fathers of the NGE, led by the late Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande, a revered journalist and one-time Governor of Lagos state, who in 1961, alongside others, established the Guild, and contributed to the socio-political development of the country particularly in delivering the country from the jackboots of the military and achieving democratic rule.
