President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the role of the Nigerian media in keeping people informed and educated on the dangers of COVID-19.
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The president gave the commendation in a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, in Abuja, to mark the 2020 World Press Freedom Day.
He said:
We cannot overemphasize the role of the media in keeping people informed and educated on the pernicious virus, which has no friend or foe.
It simply seeks to mow down anyone and everyone in its path, and public awareness is very important, lest we become like sitting ducks. The media are doing this quite effectively.”
President Buhari further charged the media to continue with their good work until the world wins the fight against the pandemic.
President Buhari, while reflecting on the theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020, ‘Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation,’ stated that Nigeria has a very unhealthy dose of disinformation, fake news, hate news, peddled by people who use media platforms, particularly the digital platforms.
They don’t mean well for us, and no country can afford to close its eyes to the evil disinformation can cause. In a plural polity like ours, it has the potential to rupture relationships, sow seeds of discord, and set on the path of destabilisation.
When fake and hate news are added unabashedly, it can only signpost doom. I urge the Press to use the occasion of World Press Freedom Day to see how this can be vigorously tackled.
The president reiterated its recommitment to the ideals of freedom of the press, noting that democracy thrives better in an atmosphere of transparency, as opposed to opacity.
The president affirmed:
We appreciate the cooperation we have enjoyed from the media in tackling the Coronavirus, and look forward to same, post COVID-19, when all hands must be on deck to repair the damages done to our economic and social lives.
