The Nigerian Guild of Editors on Wednesday urged the Bola Tinubu administration and the National Assembly to adopt fiscal and legal measures to keep the country’s media houses alive.
The editors warned that a weak media imperils Nigeria’s democracy and national cohesion.
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, made the appeal during his opening address at the 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The conference had Tinubu in attendance.
Anaba said editors shoulder a constitutional duty to inform citizens, deepen accountability and hold power to account “as constructive partners, not adversaries,” but can only do so if their organisations survive crushing production costs and legal threats.
“Our democracy is tested by insecurity, economic hardship, misinformation and declining public trust.
“When the press thrives, democracy breathes; when the press is stifled, democracy suffocates,” he told Tinubu and other delegates, citing Section 22 of the Constitution which mandates the media to uphold the objectives of the state and hold government accountable.
He tabled a five-point rescue package to the President and lawmakers.
They include corporate tax reliefs for 5–10 years to help media houses stabilise and meet operating costs; and VAT exemption on essential inputs, such as newsprint, plates and broadcast equipment, “in line with practices in countries like Canada, India and South Africa.”
The Guild also sought tax credits to incentivise large corporations to advertise in credible Nigerian outlets, boosting investigative reporting and reducing reliance on foreign grants, low-interest loans through the Bank of Industry or the Development Bank of Nigeria to modernise equipment and create jobs.
Anaba also called for a media development fund for digital transition, managed by an independent board, to support data journalism and multimedia storytelling while insulating newsrooms from political interference.
“The media today is distressed,” the NGE President said, disclosing that a ton of newsprint now costs roughly N1.3m–N1.4m and lasts “just a day or two” in a typical press cycle.
“If the media cannot keep jobs by paying salaries, it cannot help our democracy,” he stressed.
Anaba also urged a legal reset to safeguard press freedom.
He called for the repeal of laws that inhibit free expression, submission of the Guild’s review to the Minister of Information and House leadership, and the creation of a Media Freedom and Safety Charter endorsed by the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary to protect journalists from arbitrary arrests and ensure access to information.
Framing the conference theme ‘Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors’ and sub-theme ‘Electoral Integrity and Trust Deficit: What Nigerians Expect in 2027’, Anaba said editors must rise above division, reject hate speech, and centre underserved communities and conflict zones in daily coverage to rebalance “urban-centred” news agendas.
He said, “The pen must never be a tool for division, but for healing and bridge-building.”
He traced ANEC’s evolution from a modest idea in 2004 into Nigeria’s largest annual gathering of editors, media leaders and partners, a forum he said has shaped national reflection for over two decades.
Paying tribute to past NGE presidents who sustained the platform, Anaba thanked the Presidency for recognising the media’s strategic role in nation-building.
He challenged editors and publishers to embrace technology without compromising ethics, recommit to fairness and patriotism, and generate “practical ideas that rebuild public trust and fortify our democracy” ahead of the 2027 polls.
“A free, responsible and vibrant press is the lifeblood of any democracy,” he said, adding, “When journalists are respected, protected and granted access to information, governance becomes more transparent and citizens better informed.”
The 21st ANEC brought together editors, past Guild leaders, senior media executives, traditional rulers and partners, with sessions dedicated to electoral integrity, countering misinformation and the economics of independent journalism.
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