Nigeria Owes Its Democracy To Journalists, Says Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that Nigeria’s democratic journey owes much to journalists and editors who, sometimes at considerable personal cost, insisted that the public deserved to know.

The Vice President stated this yesterday at the ongoing 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.

He pointed out that the media has earned its place as the Fourth Estate of the Realm because it performs a duty that no democracy can do without.

Shettima noted that journalists interrogate power, inform citizens, shape public debate and preserve the institutional memory of our nation.

He urged the editors to continue telling the full story of Nigeria, including where progress is being made.

The Vice President pointed out that the reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration have required difficult choices, but insisted that people are beginning to see encouraging signs.

“Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025, with growth recorded across agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, and services.

“As you scrutinise government, I also urge you to continue telling the full story of our country, including where progress is being made.

The reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration have required difficult choices, but we are beginning to see encouraging signs. Nigeria’s economy grew by 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025, with growth recorded across agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, and services. Inflation has also moderated substantially from earlier levels in the reform period, although we recognise that the real test lies in what these improvements mean for the cost of living and the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.

“These numbers give us reason for confidence, but not for complacency. President Tinubu’s objective is clear: macroeconomic stability must translate into jobs, stronger businesses, greater purchasing power and a better quality of life for Nigerians. That work continues, and we are confident that with sustained reforms, the trajectory can only improve.

Government and the media will not always agree, nor should we. Democracy is strengthened when disagreement is informed by facts, exercised responsibly and conducted in good faith. What must unite us is the greater Nigerian project.

“I therefore commend the Nigerian Guild of Editors for sustaining this important platform and for choosing a subject that goes to the heart of the survival of our democracy.

I wish you fruitful deliberations and a successful 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference.

Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He stated.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State stated that government and the media should not necessarily be regarded as adversaries, arguing that both institutions had responsibilities to the people.

Describing the conference as an opportunity for a “temporary ceasefire” between the government and the media, Mbah said the ultimate meeting point between the two should be the truth.

“Today, fortunately, you are our guests. So perhaps, as I said yesterday, we can declare a temporary ceasefire,” he said.

The governor said while the government had the responsibility to be transparent and accountable, the media must establish facts, report the truth and scrutinise those in authority.

He said journalism should not be driven by the desire to prove a preconceived position, stressing that investigative journalism must rigorously examine evidence and competing claims.

“Our responsibility is to be transparent and deliver radical and positive change. Yours is to be independent: look closely, establish the facts, and tell the story as you find it. And the point at which those responsibilities meet should be the truth,” Mbah said.

He said the emergence of artificial intelligence had made it even more important for journalists to go beyond the surface and verify information before publication.

Mbah also highlighted some of the projects and programmes undertaken by his administration in Enugu, including road construction and reconstruction, education, healthcare, water supply, transportation and industrial development.

The governor said government officials were trustees of public resources and should not regard themselves as owners of the land, water or other resources entrusted to them.

The governor advised journalists to remain independent and rigorous in their work, saying the media’s responsibility was to establish facts and tell the story as they found it.

Earlier, A former Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Olotunfemi Onaiyekan, declared that the quality of elections being held in Nigeria since 1999 seems to have continued to dwindle

He noted that, though Nigeria has held several elections since 1999, the quality of its elections seems to be declining from one election to the next.

He noted that although we have had several elections since 1999, it is difficult to believe that we have been making progress.

The Archbishop further pointed out that there are critical issues regarding elections in Nigeria, including the conduct of politicians who adopt a do-or-die attitude to win at all costs.

He stated that the development is due to their view of elections as a struggle for power, which brings wealth and influence.

Onaiyekan, however, stated that in all this, the people hardly count at all but are rather just pawns in the political game.

He said that, though our Constitution has many provisions on Federal Character and State of Origin, meant to ensure equity and inclusivity in our national affairs, their implementation has, in many cases, led to injustice and the exclusion of Nigerians.

He stated that the development often rears its head during elections, when quality is sacrificed in favour of the ancestral place of origin.

The Christian leader stressed that the growing system of zoning is also a cause of great concern, which is more for elite rivalry than for the good of the people at the grassroots in the zones

“In Nigeria, we have had several elections since 1999. In fact, it seems that the quality of the elections has been declining from one election to the next, and this is not good news at all.

“There are critical issues about elections in Nigeria, among which are the following: There is the conduct of politicians who have an attitude of do-or-die, to win at all costs. This is because they see elections as a struggle for power, which brings wealth and influence. In all this, the people hardly count at all.

“Rather, they are just pawns in the political game. Our Constitution has many provisions about Federal Character and State of Origin, meant to ensure equity and inclusivity in our national affairs.

“But its implementation in many cases has led to injustice and exclusion of Nigerians. This rears its head often during elections, when quality is sacrificed to the ancestral place of origin

Delivering his address at the occasion, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the ballot is important, but democracy does not begin and end at the polling station.

He stressed that democracy depends on citizens having access to credible information with which to make informed decisions.

“That is where the media comes in. Editors occupy a particularly important position because they determine what enters the public conversation, what receives attention, how issues are framed and, increasingly, what citizens see on their phones and social media platforms.

“This responsibility has become more difficult. Artificial intelligence has made it possible to create convincing photographs, videos, audio recordings and documents that may appear genuine when they are not. A false statement can be produced in the voice of a public official. A fabricated video can be circulated within minutes. An old photograph can be presented as a current event.

“The danger is not simply that people may believe a lie. The greater danger is that citizens may eventually stop believing anything. When the public can no longer distinguish between what is true and what is fabricated, trust in the media, elections and public institutions begins to suffer.

“This is why fact-checking can no longer be treated as an activity that happens after publication. Verification has to be part of the newsroom culture. Editors must ask basic but important questions: Who said this? What is the evidence? When was this photograph taken? Is this video original? Has the source been independently verified? Is the headline supported by the story? Are we reporting a fact, an allegation or an opinion? These questions may sound simple, but they are powerful safeguards against misinformation.

The media also has a responsibility to report government performance with the same discipline it applies to other public institutions.

Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Nigeria has gone through major economic reforms, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and changes to the foreign exchange system.” He stated.

In his opening speech, the chairman of the occasion, His Royal Majesty, Ihee Nnaemaka Achebe, disclosed that democracy is not a monument we erect and then walk away from, adding that it is more like a fire lit to keep the house warm.

He stressed that it must be tended, fed, and protected from wind and rain, or it dies quietly in the night while everyone believes it still burns.

“In our Igbo tradition, the Obi does not rule by decree. He rules in council, in dialogue, in the constant testing of truth against the wisdom of elders and the voice of the people. Igbo democratic instinct is ancient. Even kingship here has always been checked by community, by consultation, by honest speech.

“The ballot box, in this sense, is not an imported graft onto our soil. It is a modern vessel for an old African value: the idea that legitimate power flows from the consent, voice, and informed judgment of the people. But consent is only meaningful if it is informed. And this is where you, the editors of this nation, become not merely chroniclers of democracy but its guardians also.

“The ballot is the citizen’s voice. The media is the mirror by which the citizen sees the world clearly enough to know what to say with that voice. When the mirror is cracked, or worse, deliberately distorted, the citizen no longer votes from truth but votes from illusion. And a democracy built on illusion is not a genuine democracy but drama. It becomes a theatre,” he stated,” Stated.

Earlier in a welcome address, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba

Stated that for more than two decades, the conference has served as a platform for national reflection, dialogue and professional renewal within the Nigerian media landscape.

He added that the gathering reflects their collective resolve to ensure that the media remains a cornerstone of Nigeria’s democracy.

“I wish to inform you all that this will be the last welcome address I will deliver as President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors at an Annual Editors Conference, because the next gathering of editors will be the Biennial Editors Conference, at which my successor will emerge”, he said.

He added that the credibility of the ballot must be protected so that the courts do not have to replace the citizenry in determining who should represent the people.

“The ballot can only fulfil its purpose when voters are adequately informed, when they have access to credible information, and when they are able to make their choices freely, without intimidation or undue influence.

“As editors, we are the gatekeepers of much of the information that shapes public understanding. How we frame issues can have consequences that go far beyond the newsroom.

“In an era of social media, artificial intelligence, deepfakes, misinformation and an unprecedented speed of information dissemination, the job of an editor has become even more crucial,” he stated.