Tinubu Govt Committed to Free Press, Not Repression — Idris

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains firmly committed to safeguarding press freedom.

The monster dismissed claims of media repression as unfounded and inconsistent with the government’s actions.

Speaking on Tuesday at the 2025 International Press Institute (IPI) Annual Congress and General Meeting in Abuja, Idris said the conference theme, ‘Addressing Media Repression in Nigeria’ should be interrogated against verifiable reality rather than outdated perceptions.

“We must ask: does this theme describe our present reality, or does it risk anchoring us to a sad past we are actively working to transcend? If the theme suggests an active, systemic policy of repression by the current administration, then we must, with respect, interrogate it against the available evidence,” the minister said.

According to the minister, the Tinubu government has adopted a deliberate policy of engagement, transparency, and accountability in its dealings with the media.

“Let me state without any ambiguity that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu operates on the fundamental principle that a sure-footed, critical, and independent press is the central nervous system of a functioning democracy,” he said.

“It is significantly the mechanism through which a nation holds a conversation with itself.”

He added that the government has taken steps to ensure journalists operate without fear, including stricter protocols for security agencies in conflict zones and civil demonstrations, and regulatory safeguards for licensed media organisations.

“We recognize that a free press is the amplifier of an engaged citizenry,” Idris said.

“Our security agencies now operate under stricter protocols to respect the rights of journalists… Our regulatory organs have continued to guarantee the enabling environment necessary for licensed media establishments to thrive.”

The minister also addressed recent misinformation incidents, including a widely circulated but false report claiming that a sovereign agreement required Nigeria to adopt LGBTQ+ rights. Idris said the government responded with restraint and transparency rather than coercion.

“In that precise circumstance, the administration’s core priority was resolutely affirmed: to defend press freedom by defending the integrity of the information space upon which it depends,” he explained.

“We categorically rejected the old playbook of coercion… Instead, we pursued transparency, immediately publishing the full, unadulterated agreement, issuing detailed rebuttals, and engaging the public directly.”

He said the response “demonstrates our restraint and our resolve to protect both social harmony and the press from the corrosive effects of disinformation.”

Idris revealed that Nigeria had been selected to host the regional Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Institute, a new pan-African centre aimed at combating misinformation through education and critical thinking.

“This institute will not be a government mouthpiece,” he said. “It will be a neutral hub for training journalists, educators, and citizens to navigate the digital age… an investment in inoculating our society against disinformation.”

Idris reaffirmed the government’s readiness to collaborate with IPI, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, and the NUJ to strengthen regulatory frameworks, ensuring they protect free speech while serving the public good.

“As one from amongst you who remains true to our shared vision, I leave you with this pledge: I will continue to be an unwavering voice within the Federal Executive Council, championing the cause of a free press and an open society,” he said.

The minister urged media stakeholders to shift from “addressing repression” to “advancing freedom,” insisting that the administration had already taken significant steps in the right direction.

“Let our collective legacy be that we fortified the foundations of Nigerian democracy by safeguarding the very freedom that defines it,” he added.