ThisDay publisher, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, has joined Chairman, Vanguard newspapers, Sam Amuka and Chairman, Governing Council of Nigerian Institute of Journalism, NIJ, Aremo Olusegun Osoba as patron of the Newspapers Proprietor Association of Nigeria, NPAN.
At its Annual General Meeting held, Tuesday, 8th December, 2020, a communique signed by its President, Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf and Secretary, Alh Mohammed Idris, the newspaper owners deliberated on the state of the media, Nigeria and the economy, and resolved as follows:
“That as the media is evolving because of digital intrusion, the Association may need to at the Executive Council take another at the situation and respond as appropriate.
“It reflects vigorously on the absence of paper culture on the newspaper industry in particular and the Nigerian economy in general.
“It urges the Federal Government to make a conscious effort to revive the newsprint factories in Nigeria towards improving the health of the newspaper business and paper industry.”
NPAN also urged that the government should take the newspaper business as educational venture and grant zero tariff on paper to promote education and Constitutional and civic duty of the media at holding the government accountable to the people.
The association lamented what it described as “steady encroachment” on freedom of the press and free speech, “especially by state actors and urge resistance through all legitimate means to any infringement on press freedom and free speech. Likewise, the NPAN holds that the right to protest is a fundamental human right that must be guaranteed by the Nigerian state in such a way as to stave off violence.”
It also added that “the NPAN in particular, pays deserving attention to media education in Nigeria and support the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) to achieve the stated objective for its establishment, including an upgrade to a degree awarding media training institution in the future.
“That the Federal Government rise up to its responsibilities of protecting of life and property by stamping out terrorism, banditry, kidnapping .
“That the Federal Government revs its response to the COVID-19 pandemic by making aggressive effort to procure the vaccines from whatever sources as may be available and vaccinate our citizens against the deadly disease.”
Vanguard News Nigeria