Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a former Ogun State Governor, and the President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Malam Kabiru Yusuf, have voiced their concerns and issued calls to action regarding the incarceration of journalists in Nigeria.
Their remarks were made during the second edition of the Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Osoba, a seasoned journalist himself, expressed deep worry over the increasing incarceration of media practitioners in the country.
He highlighted recent incidents involving the arrest of journalists, such as Segun Olatunji and Daniel Ojukwu, emphasising the need for self-regulation within the media industry to counteract government interference.
Osoba condemned the proposed legislation aimed at regulating online journalism, stressing the importance of media freedom and unity in protecting journalists’ rights.
In his address, Yusuf underscored the enduring importance of traditional journalistic roles in informing, educating, and entertaining the public.
He urged media organisations to uphold consistency, integrity and transparency in their operations, stressing the need to regain public trust.
Yusuf also advocated for a balanced approach to news coverage, calling for a reinvigoration of entertainment news alongside hard news reporting.
The convener of the summit, Taiwo Obe, echoed the sense of urgency, describing the Nigerian media industry as “dying” and emphasising the need for collective efforts to revitalise it and save it from decline.