Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation
Nigeria’s new Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, has expressed the country’s steadfast dedication to the core principles of press freedom and democracy, stressing that these values contribute to a more accountable and transparent government.
Alhaji Idris made the affirmation in his office on November 21, 2023, when he received Mr. David Greene, the US Charge d’Affaires to Nigeria, who paid him a courtesy visit.
Idris said: “While we are for press freedom, we also want to call on the government of the United States to support efforts at instituting best practices in the media space, particularly fact-checking mechanisms towards reducing the spate of misinformation, fake news, and mal-information.”
Reiterating Nigeria’s commitment to democracy, the Minister said it was important for the United States, as a dependable ally, to deepen support for the Tinubu administration and its efforts towards the reengineering of the Nigerian economy on the strength of the Renewed Hope Agenda, which, according to the Minister, focusses on food security, poverty eradication, growth, job creation, access to capital, social inclusion, rule of law, and the fight against corruption.
Alhaji Idris said President Tinubu has since hit the ground running in his quest to attract foreign investment by his physical presence at various economic fora, engagements with business leaders and key stakeholders, first in Paris, for the Summit on New Global Financing Pact, followed by the G20 Summit in India, and the recently concluded Saudi-Africa Summit in Riyadh.
He also reminded Mr. Greene that President Tinubu travelled to Berlin, Germany, to attend the G20 Compact with Africa Conference, in furtherance of his determination to retool the Nigerian economy through strategic partnership.
In his response, Mr Greene said the United States is fully behind Nigeria’s democracy and is supportive of its media growth through the offer of consistent training over the years, adding that Nigeria is a critical partner in regional security and economic development.
