Tinubu media tariffs review pledge made during meeting with Nigerian media leaders as president promises to address duties on newsprint and broadcast equipment
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday pledged to address tariffs affecting newspaper and broadcasting materials, saying the move would strengthen the media industry’s ability to fulfil its constitutional role.
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The assurance on the Tinubu media tariffs review came during a meeting at the State House in Abuja with leaders of Nigeria’s media industry, including representatives of the Nigerian Press Organisation, Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Nigeria Union of Journalists.
Tinubu commended media owners, editors and journalists for their role in informing and educating the public, noting that the industry also provides employment and livelihoods for thousands of Nigerians.
The president said responsible leadership requires taking difficult decisions at the appropriate time, even when such choices are unpopular.
“Leadership must, as a matter of responsibility, make decisions at the best time,” Tinubu said.
The president acknowledged that his administration had been compelled to implement tough economic reforms to stabilise the country’s finances and prevent economic collapse.
“Having asked for the job and got it, I can’t look back other than to make corrections as I move along.
We had to save the nation and bring it back from the brink,” Tinubu said, citing past challenges including airline reimbursement debts and severe exchange rate pressures.
He said the government had made progress in restoring economic stability and expressed optimism about the country’s trajectory.
Addressing requests from media executives on tariffs affecting newsprint and broadcast equipment, the president assured the delegation that the matter would receive attention.
“We discussed issues of tariffs this afternoon. What I cannot report back here is whether I took action in the areas that affect you. But if I missed that, I will go back to rectifying whatever was necessary,” Tinubu said.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed confidence in the president’s leadership and said the Nigerian media had high expectations for the administration’s ability to guide the country toward sustainable progress.
During the meeting, Olusegun Osoba, Grand Patron of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria, praised the administration’s economic reforms and highlighted initiatives such as the Nigeria Revenue Service and the National Single Window policy as transformative steps capable of boosting national revenue.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Press Organisation, Frank Aigbogun, publisher of BusinessDay newspapers, urged the Federal Government to intervene on import tariffs affecting the media sector.
Aigbogun also called for measures to protect journalism jobs in Nigeria, warning that global technology companies increasingly use editorial content produced by Nigerian media organisations without compensation.
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Tinubu urged the media to continue holding leaders accountable at all levels of government, noting that recent reforms had increased financial allocations to subnational governments and created greater expectations for transparency and service delivery.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
