Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to safeguarding press freedom and advancing the journalism profession in Nigeria.
Shettima gave the assurance on Wednesday when he hosted the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at the State House, Abuja.
The Vice President described the media as the “lifewire of the nation” and stressed that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains an ally of journalists.
“In President Bola Tinubu, you have a friend, an ally, and a proprietor who has been kind to the Nigerian media over the years,” Shettima said. “We will do our best to promote, project, and preserve the interests of the journalism profession. We can’t afford to muzzle you.”
He emphasized that journalism stands almost at par with the judiciary, noting that journalists play a vital role in holding leaders accountable and safeguarding democracy.
Recalling that many of Nigeria’s founding fathers — including Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Obafemi Awolowo — began as journalists, Shettima described the media as “the conscience of the nation” and assured continued government support to the NUJ.
The Vice President also reiterated that President Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidies was taken in the national interest, as part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning the economy for sustainable growth.
Earlier, the NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, urged the government to defend press freedom and protect journalists from harassment in the course of their duties. He called for the decriminalization of libel and the review of colonial-era laws that still criminalize journalism.
Abdullahi further requested government collaboration to develop a national safety protocol for journalists, initiate a media support framework including training grants, soft loans, tax reliefs, and bailouts for struggling media houses and establish a permanent Government–Media Liaison Platform under the Vice President’s office for regular engagement and policy clarification.
He assured that the Nigerian media would remain a constructive partner in governance, pledging to support the administration’s development agenda while maintaining its constitutional duty to speak truth to power.
“We are institutional partners and not antagonists. When the government does right, we will applaud; when it falters, we will speak out,” Abdullahi said.
The NUJ President also commended President Tinubu’s administration for its ongoing reforms and visible efforts to stabilize the economy amid global economic challenges.
