By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
President Bola Tinubu has pledged his administration’s support for Nigeria’s media industry as it grapples with economic challenges and the growing dominance of global technology companies.
The assurance was conveyed during an interfaith dinner held at the State House with a delegation from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), according to a statement issued by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu described the media as an indispensable partner in strengthening democracy, economic stability and social cohesion. He said the government was considering reviewing tariff exemptions to include essential media production materials such as newsprint, printing plates, chemicals, and broadcasting equipment, which currently attract duties of between five and ten per cent.
The President emphasised that easing these fiscal burdens would help sustain the industry at a time of rising operational costs. He also reiterated that his administration had begun engagements with major tech firms, including Meta and Google, to address concerns over content use and revenue loss.
Earlier, media executives raised alarms over alleged anti-competitive practices by Big Tech, accusing some companies of scraping proprietary content to train artificial intelligence models without adequate compensation. They urged the President to mandate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate claims that local media outlets were losing up to 70 per cent of legitimate income due to such practices.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the government would ensure that global tech companies operating in Nigeria contribute fairly to the country’s economy.
Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior government officials were also present at the meeting, which brought together top stakeholders across print, broadcast, and digital media platforms.
