Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, has stated that no media outlet has been intimidated, shut down, or silenced by the current administration.
Idris claimed that this is because of the administration’s deliberate adherence to the constitutional values of press freedom during a speech on Wednesday at the 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC), which was hosted at the State House in Abuja.
As the first sitting Nigerian leader to attend the Guild’s annual conference in person, he called President Bola Tinubu’s attendance a historic occasion.
According to him, the gesture demonstrated how much the administration values the media as an essential component of democracy.
“Not a single radio or television station has been threatened, gagged, or shut down by this government for expressing dissent,” he stated. This is a deliberate dedication to the constitutional values of press freedom rather than a coincidence.
The Minister pointed out that President Tinubu’s own democratic credentials, which sprang from his past resistance to dictatorship, were reflected in this degree of tolerance and respect for opposing viewpoints.
The tenacity and fight that characterize Nigerian media are personified in President Tinubu. He has resisted the waves of oppression, just like you. He recognizes that an active, independent media is the cornerstone of a genuine and enduring democracy rather than the government’s enemy,” he continued.
According to Idris, the President’s bravery in previous conflicts, such as his opposition to the unlawful withholding of monies from Lagos State’s local councils while serving as governor, showed the same attitude that motivates his present national reform initiatives.
President Tinubu is guiding our country through difficult but essential reforms with unflinching determination in order to create a more prosperous Nigeria. Difficult choices have been made, such as the unification of the naira and the elimination of the oil subsidy. The minister continued, “We now transition to a more equitable tax system intended to finance infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
The administration welcomes constructive criticism as part of democratic participation, he added, adding that the government’s continuing reforms are guided by the same principles of transparency and inclusion that define its relationship with the media.
“President Tinubu’s administration has shown that it believes in you by deeds as much as words. “We encourage you to participate, to offer constructive criticism, and to report with the accountability that this historical moment requires,” he said to the editors.
