Blueprint Publisher and Kakaki Nupe, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, on August 3, 2023, appeared before the Senate screening committee as a minister designate and responded to myriad of questions on pressing national issues, especially, those pertaining to information management. AIDELOJE OJO who monitored the session from Minna reports
Blueprint as first newspaper to break Boko Haram story
In 2011, we established a broader newspaper, the Blueprint. Your Excellency, Mr. President, May I inform you that Blueprint newspaper was one of the first newspapers to break the story of Boko Haram, and especially, the bombing of the Police Force headquarters at that time, even when the Nigeria Police were seeking information about those whom they feel were responsible for that bombing. We were able to get some journalists who embedded themselves and able to give firsthand information that was useful to the Nigerian government in tackling the menace of that insurgency. I recall that the international media were quoting the Blueprint because the paper was the only one giving the most precise information about Boko Haram at that time. That newspaper is still there and is running up until this time.
WE FM Abuja leading radio station, Blueprint TV coming soon
Again, I established a radio station called WE FM. Of course, it was existing before I bought into it. I revived it and it is now one of the leading radio stations in Abuja here. Again, the former President, Mohammed Buhari graciously granted us licences to establish a Private Television station and I want to tell you, Mr. President, that Blueprint Newspapers have established its arm of the TV and we are doing some training now. I want to assure you that in the next two to three months, the TV station will be on air. I can assure that it is going to be one of the biggest television stations in this country.
My stint in construction/real estate business, how I revived Abuja Property Development Company
Distinguished Senators, I have also had a stint in the construction industry. Around 2008, I set up a company and went into construction and business of real estate in Nigeria. The success of that, perhaps, made the former President Mohammedu Buhari to nominate me and subsequently appointed me as chairman of the Abuja Property Development Company (APDC). That company is government-owned. Before I took over, the company was almost bankrupt but when I got there in 2008 as a board chair, I made sure that the company was resuscitated. And I am happy to report that the APDC is one of the best private companies owned by the government in this country. Because of the success again, the former President reappointed me this year into that board, of course, all the boards have now been dissolved.
Connections with national and international media organisations
Mr. Senate President, I am a member of the International Press Institute. I helped in bringing the International Media into this country in 2018. It was the first time that the cream of editors all over the world would converge in Abuja to hold what they called the Annual Congress of the IPI that year. It is one of the most prestigious media organisations in the world. Again, Mr President, I am a distinguished member of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations. At one time, I was the chairman of the institute in the Kaduna chapter. I am a member of the Association of Public Relations and the sitting Secretary General of the Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria. I am also a member of the America-based Online News Association. Distinguished Senators, like I said, I am Mohammed Idris, a teacher, public relations consultant, a media entrepreneur and an investor in the real estate and construction industry.
Employment opportunities for youths
Distinguished Senators, I have demonstrated this in my business. I have employed over 200 workers now and 100 of them are Nigeria graduates who have obtained degrees from Nigerian universities. Now for what I trust in is that once the enabling environment is created, it is possible for most of our youths there to be gainfully employed. That is number one. Secondly, it is also important that policies formulation by government should encourage participation by the private sector. Only in so doing can opportunities be created so that those our youths out there in the streets can be taken out of the streets. First, private sector has to be encouraged to employ people and the only way that can be done is by creating the enabling environment for private sector to thrive. There is no way that government will continue to employ people. I think the era of thinking that government is the employer of all members of Nigerian public is over. And if you look at the policies that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is already formulating, the mere fact that about a trillion Naira has been saved and is going to be ploughed back into the economy will mean and ensure more private sector participation. This, will in turn, stimulate private sector growth that will also be an enabler for employment for our teeming youths.
Credible information must be readily available to Nigerians to tackle fake news
Well, I don’t think we are satisfied with the level of information from government that Nigerians are getting. I think that this is one of the issues that we should try to improve on. Unless credible information is being put out there for Nigerians to consume, there will always be room for rumour, misinformation, fake news and all types of things. I will give an example. Because there was tensed anxiety for the ministerial list to get to the Senate, because it has not come and information flow is a bit limited, so many Nigeria youths that were staying idle they were formulating their own lists and sending it to the members of the public. I have myself seeing more than seven lists, only one of them has my name suggested in them. However, as somebody who has experience and some expertise on how credible news is sourced and disseminated, I knew that some of those lists were actually mere fabrications. But it is important and pertinent that government must provide credible information to Nigerians. That is the only way that the transparency and accountability that government is upholding will always be guaranteed. The more you impose, the less you are trusted. We have this in communication palace that only 50 percent of government projects is actually in publication. So if you don’t publicise, people do not get to know what you are doing. I will cite example with this Hallowed Chambers. This is one of the most reported arms of government. What you are doing here now is being beamed across Nigeria and across the world. What that means is that Nigerians are able to judge on their own the quality of the nominees, the quality of the persons and the responsibility of citizens to ensuring that there is credibility in the process which will in turn lead to the formation of a credible cabinet. So I think that we need to do more as Nigerians. I think it is important that we need to do this. I am not as satisfied as it should be, at the same time I think things can be better and we have the collective responsibility to be sure that that is done for the peace, unity and progress of our dear nation.
Now is time to use digital assets to promote Nigeria’s development
If I am part of the government, I feel that I will also strive to ensure that communication flow is absolutely important not just in the newspapers and television and radio but ensure that all the digital assets that have been used to misinform Nigerians are turned into good form for accurate information for the development of the country. For instance, most of the misinformation are from Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok and if you are not careful the tendency is for you to consume anything you see on these digital asset as credible information but they are not. It is not something that we can exonerate ourselves from, this is a problem that happen all over the world. Like I said, I am a member of the Online Association based in USA and I know that in every conference we hold, many countries including America are complaining about fake news. So what do we do with this digital assets? What kind of regulation do we put in place? How doearlier, that to promote more credible flow of information among Nigerians? I think this is very important. We tried to do same during the campaigns. Those of you in APC would have observed that I served as Director Strategic Communication for the campaign. And I know that we used these digital assets to promote the manifesto of the party.
Government agencies should not keep information at bay, tell Nigerians
When I began my career, as I mentioned here earlier, I left government service as a lecturer in 1995. One of the first things I did at that time was the creation of official newsletter in both English and Hausa for many local governments in Katsina state where I was based at that time. They were using that to get even international attention. We made sure that they circulated these newsletters to development partners that were present in Nigeria. At that time, of course, the use of internet was a bit limited but the hard copies were being presented, so we can do more of that. Government agencies should be encouraged to tell Nigerians the bulk of information they have at their disposal. In any case, this information is meant for Nigerians and, therefore, it should not be kept at bay.
FRCN, NBC, NTA, others must pay attention to technology
What I will say is that the FRCN and NTA are doing a good job but they can do better. And the way they can do that is by ensuring that they resort to technology, pay attention to new technologies that will ensure quality information dissemination. If you look at NTA, for example, you will see that it is one of the best media in the country as far as reportage is concerned. If you look at the quality of the pictures, and you switched to other private television, people will not be encouraged to get themselves glued to the NTA. So there must be some form of investment in the digital assets. When I meant investment, it’s not just the equipment but also ensuring that those who are going to man these equipment are properly trained and retrained. This is because technology is such that if you stay in one position for more than six months, you find yourself obsolete. You need to move and evolve with time, so that should be done.
Why NBC needs to review downward licensing fee
Now there is a particular thing I want to talk about especially concerning the NBC. The NBC as the regulating agency for broadcast in this country need to do more. For example, the fees that the NBC requests that private radio/ tv stations pay before they can air their programmes need to be reviewed downward. If for example, somebody wants to invest in television station, he is asked to pay N250 million, this is even before he buys any asset, and he is expected to pay N250 million, where do we expect him to get funds to invest in it. Licences come with responsibility. Today there are over a thousand licences that are issued and many of those that got these licences are politicians. You get this licence keep it in your bag and go and drop it at home. How does that contribute to information dissemination? Why did you get that licence in the first place? Only 50 percent or even less of the licences granted by the federal government are actually in operation today. So where are the rest? I think that there should be some regulation, total regulation that you must be a practitioner or a genuine investor in the media industry before such licences are granted. I think we need to do that and then control the proliferation. What I mean is not that every other station that is there is not doing well. Specialised licences must be given to specialised audiences. The NBC should take note of that. I am aware that they already doing that for the Nigeria Police, FRSC and others.
