The Federal government has charged the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC and other foreign media operators to maintain principle of accuracy, balance and fairness as well as objectivity in their daily reportage on issues concerning Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris handed down the charge when a delegation from the BBC visited him in his office in Abuja.
He said while the policy thrust of the Tinubu Administration remains committed to upholding the freedom of press and ensuring operators works without hindrance but in return the government expects the media operators to be ethical in reporting not only bad stories but also the good ones going on in the country.
“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.
“The thrust of the policy of the Tinubu administration is that every news organization has the freedom to practice the profession and am happy you didn’t report to us any of your staff, who has been molested or under any kind of pressure from the Nigerian government,” he said.
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The Minister expressed his pleasure in the enduring trust and mutual respect between the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Nigerian audience, a relationship that has remained strong for almost six decades
“The Nigerian people are actually partners with the BBC and this partnership goes back several decades and that commitment to what we hear on the BBC and the respect and trust our people have, have been largely unbroken for the last five to six decades,” he said.
He underscored 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.
Idris praised the BBC for 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 of capacity building for some journalists working for the public media organizations and appealed to the British broadcaster to extend similar gesture to the private media outlets.
Earlier in his remarks, the head of BBC delegation and Director, Global News and Deputy CEO of the BBC, Mr. Jonathan Munro, said he was in Nigeria for the first time expressed delighted by the reputation of the BBC in the country.
He told the minister that BBC has expanded into multimedia platforms in Nigeria and it’s now broadcasting in Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba to reach the country diverse audiences.
Mr. Munro, who described Nigeria as a global power, said 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 USA and India.
Mr. Munro was accompanied by the Head of West African Languages, Ehizojie Okharadia; Head of News gathering for Africa, Juliet Njeri and the Head of BBC Hausa, Aliyu Tanko.
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