By [Olusegun Ogunkayode]
Under the soft glow of the conference hall lights and the quiet hum of cameras, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stood before Nigeria’s finest editors, men and women who shape the national narrative, and delivered what many described as one of his most defining calls to the media yet.
It wasn’t a speech heavy with policy figures or political grandstanding. It was a plea, and a challenge.
“A democracy is only as strong as its media is honest,” the President began, his voice firm but reflective. “When the media chooses truth over manipulation and unity over division, the nation benefits and the people become freer.”
At the All Media Editors’ Conference in Abuja, the President’s tone carried both gratitude and caution. He acknowledged the historical courage of the Nigerian press, the same press that once stood against dictatorship, injustice, and oppression. But he also reminded the gathered professionals that today’s battles are more subtle, more complex, and often fought in the invisible arenas of digital misinformation.
“The threat to our democracy today is not censorship, but distortion,” Tinubu said. “The lie that goes viral does more harm than a policy gone wrong. Editors must rise to restore the balance of truth in public discourse.”
The theme of the conference, “Media, Truth and National Renewal,” mirrored the mood of the gathering, a sober reflection on the shifting sands of journalistic ethics in an age of algorithmic influence and public distrust.
For many attendees, Tinubu’s words struck a delicate balance between encouragement and accountability. He reaffirmed his administration’s respect for press freedom, calling it “a sacred pillar of democracy” , yet warned against the misuse of that freedom for partisan or destructive ends. “Freedom of the press is not freedom to distort,” he said pointedly. “It is a sacred duty to inform, educate and elevate the public mind.”
Beyond rhetoric, the President announced a forthcoming National Media Innovation Fund, an initiative aimed at supporting investigative journalism, training, and digital transformation across newsrooms. If implemented, it could mark one of the most significant federal interventions in the Nigerian media landscape in decades.
While addressing the gathering, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, described the National Media Innovation fund as “a strategic investment in the truth economy.” He called on editors to use their platforms to promote unity, transparency, and shared purpose at a time when disinformation threatens to fragment national cohesion.
In his closing remark, President Tinubu stressed that “the Nigerian media must never lose its moral compass,” adding that “In every newsroom, truth must be the first editor, and conscience the last censor.”
As the applause swelled and the conference drew to a close, one could sense a quiet reckoning in the room. The President’s challenge was more than political, it was moral. It was a reminder that amid the noise of headlines, hashtags, and hurried deadlines, the media’s highest calling remains unchanged: to tell the truth, even when it is inconvenient; to hold power accountable, even when it is friendly; and to rebuild faith in a nation yearning for renewal.