Tinubu media tariffs relief plan targets lower costs and support for Nigerian press amid concerns over Big Tech dominance
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged to review tariffs on newsprint, broadcast equipment and other materials used by media organisations, in a move aimed at easing financial pressure on Nigeria’s press.
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Bola Ahmed Tinubu also assured industry leaders of government support in addressing what he described as the growing threat of Big Tech dominance and anti-competitive practices in the media space.
The President made the commitment while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Press Organisation led by its President, Maiden Alex-Ibru, during an interfaith dinner at the State House in Abuja.
According to a statement signed by Segun Adediran, Chief Executive Officer of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the meeting brought together leading figures across Nigeria’s media landscape.
Among those present were veteran journalist Olusegun Osoba, Sam Amuka, Nduka Obaigbena and John Momoh.
Others included Saliu Abdulhamid Dembos, Ray Ekpu, Eze Anaba and Angela Emuwa, alongside several managing directors and senior editors.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, were also in attendance.
Addressing the delegation, Bola Ahmed Tinubu described the press as an indispensable partner in Nigeria’s journey towards economic stability, press freedom and social cohesion.
He gave a strong assurance that the government would tackle fiscal hurdles and what he termed “digital cannibalisation” affecting media revenues.
The President said the tariff exemption list was under review to include essential media production items such as newsprint, plates, chemicals and broadcast equipment, which currently attract duties of between five and 10 per cent. The Tinubu media tariffs relief plan is expected to ease operational costs across the sector.
Earlier, the Deputy President of NPAN and publisher of BusinessDay, Frank Aigbogun, raised concerns over alleged exploitation by global technology companies.
Frank Aigbogun accused some firms of scraping proprietary content to train artificial intelligence models, often bypassing digital paywalls.
He described the situation as a serious threat to the sustainability of local media.
The NPO urged the government to direct the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate claims that Big Tech practices have deprived Nigerian media of up to 70 per cent of legitimate revenue.
In response, Mohammed Idris disclosed that the government had begun engagement with major technology companies, including Meta and Google.
He stressed that the administration would ensure that global platforms operating in Nigeria contribute fairly to the country’s economy.
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The development has been welcomed by stakeholders as a potentially decisive step towards strengthening the financial stability of the media industry while safeguarding press freedom.
