The Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Tuesday, called on the federal government to review its policies on the paper industry, saying the review would promote both education and the development of the newspaper sector.
The association, which raised the concern that the Nigerian youth lacked a robust paper culture for the education and mobilisation of its citizens, also asked the federal government to provide succour to Nigerians to cushion the effect of its economic reform programme on them.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its 2023 Annual General Meeting, and signed by its President and General Secretary, Mallam Kabiru A. Yusuf and Mrs. Angela Emuwa respectively, NPA also welcomed the birth of the Media Ombudsman to work on ethics and self-regulation by the media.
“At the AGM, the NPAN reviewed the state of the nation, the economy, and, the print media industry and resolved as follows:
Now that elections are over and the government has been constituted, the federal government should move speedily with its economic reform programme and provide the much-needed succour to the long-suffering Nigerians within the shortest time possible.
“It is concerning that a nation of Nigeria’s size and youthful population lacks a robust paper culture for the education and mobilisation of its citizens. The analysis revealed the alarming condition of the newspaper business in Nigeria, highlighting the concerning fact that no newsprint is produced locally.
“This underscores the urgent need for the Federal Government to review its policies on the paper industry, aiming to promote both education and the development of the newspaper sector. The NPAN added that the poor state of the newspaper industry indexes a poor democratic state as studies have shown a correlation between strong democracies and strong print media.
“The 10 best-performing economies globally, combine strong political culture with a vibrant print media. The Association welcomed the birth of the Media Ombudsman, a collaboration of the NPAN, Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Media NGOs and Daria Media, with support from the MacArthur Foundation, to work on ethics and self regulation by the media.
“The NPAN has announced its intention to launch a Media Trust Fund, which aims to provide support to important aspects of the media, including the Ombudsman. This initiative is intended to strengthen and enhance the media landscape in Nigeria,” the communiqué read.
