President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged media professionals in Nigeria to replace needless hostility with constructive engagement, emphasizing that the government and the press remain partners in strengthening democracy despite their differing constitutional roles.
Speaking on Thursday at the maiden State House Media Dinner held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to press freedom while calling on journalists to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accuracy and responsibility.
The President described himself as “an apostle of a free press,” noting that he had consistently defended media freedom throughout his public life.
“Democracy rests on the pillars of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of association,” he said. “While press freedom and free speech remain the bedrock of an open and democratic society, journalists and citizens must balance these rights with responsibility and ensure that society is not set on fire through inaccurate reporting.”
Tinubu acknowledged that tension between government and the media is inevitable in a democracy but said such rivalry should remain constructive.
“Government exists to serve the people through leadership and public service, while the media exists to hold those in power accountable. That arrangement guarantees a certain level of tension, but in nation-building, we are partners,” he stated.
The President expressed concern over the increasing spread of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, deepfakes, and digitally manipulated content, warning that professional journalists should not become channels for false or unverified information capable of undermining national security.
He urged media organisations to prioritise facts over sensational headlines and credibility over the pursuit of clicks and viral content.
“We live in an era where misinformation and disinformation travel faster than facts. The media must choose fact over falsehood, substance over sensation, and credibility over clickbait,” Tinubu said.
According to him, freedom of expression does not include the freedom to defame or deliberately mislead the public, stressing that the country’s legal framework, including the Cybercrimes Act, was designed to protect citizens from malicious falsehoods without undermining press freedom.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Sections 22 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantee freedom of expression and assign the media the responsibility of holding government accountable, as well as the Freedom of Information Act, which promotes transparency and public access to information.
Highlighting his administration’s achievements, Tinubu said ongoing economic reforms were beginning to yield positive results, citing improved public revenue, increased allocations to state governments, stronger foreign reserves, renewed investor confidence, growth in the stock market, and increased investment in the oil and gas sector.
He also maintained that military operations and improved intelligence had led to the neutralisation of thousands of terrorists and criminal elements, the rescue of numerous hostages, and the recovery of previously threatened communities.
While acknowledging that security challenges persist, Tinubu said the government had moved from merely reacting to threats to systematically degrading criminal networks across the country.
He called for stronger collaboration between government and the media in advancing national development.
“As we look to the future, let us continue to strengthen the relationship between government and the media—not by abandoning healthy scrutiny, but by deepening mutual respect, professionalism and responsibility,” he said.
Tinubu concluded by urging journalists to embrace ethical reporting and national responsibility.
“Let us replace needless hostility with constructive engagement. Let us replace sensationalism with professionalism. Let us replace the pursuit of outrage with the pursuit of truth. Together, let us continue building a nation where truth matters, accountability thrives, democracy flourishes, and every Nigerian has reason to believe in the promise of our country.”
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