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Reprieve is coming for Nigeria media as President Bola Tinubu has lent support to the evidence-led campaign of indigenous media against big tech dominance, anti-competitive activities, and the harsh economic headwinds affecting them.
Tinubu described the press as an indispensable partner in the nation’s journey towards economic stability, press freedom, and social cohesion.
The president said this in a statement by Segun Adediran, Chief Executive Officer, Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) on Sunday.
He spoke during an interfaith dinner with a high-level delegation from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), led by the NPO President and Publisher of The Guardian, Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru.
The delegation also included industry leaders and patrons, including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, publisher of Vanguard; Mr Sam Amuka, Chairman of Thisday/Arise News Channel; Prince Nduka Obaigbena and Chairman of Channels Television, Dr John Momoh, among others.
Tinubu said that his government would help dismantle the fiscal hurdles and “digital cannibalisation” currently threatening the survival of the press.
He said that his government was already reviewing the tariff exemption list.
According to him, the government will consider the inclusion of the items used by the media, such as newsprint, plates, chemicals, and radio and television broadcast equipment.
“If this happens, these items will enjoy a status similar to that of educational and research materials.
“You have the government’s full support, because we know how important your work is to the sustenance of democracy,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy President of the NPAN and Publisher of BusinessDay, Mr Frank Aigbogun, accused some tech companies of increasingly “scraping” proprietary creative content to train AI models, often by breaching digital paywalls.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the NPO, Aigbogun urged the president to direct the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate complaints of Big Tech dominance and anti-competitive practices.
According to him, these are costing local media at least 70 per cent of its legitimate income, estimated by some sources at hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said that the government had already begun engaging Big Tech companies, including Meta and Google.
“The government will not allow anybody to come here, reap from our economy, and go away without giving back,” Idris said.
Among other dignitaries present at the meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as senior aides and special advisers to the president.
The NPO had in January written to the government and also published a statement complaining about the existential threat Big Tech operations pose to local media. (NAN)
