Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has hailed the contribution of the media in the ongoing fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mohammed, who made the call Tuesday at a virtual meeting with the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), appealed for more media support for the Federal Government’s efforts to tackle the pandemic.
He said the government needs the media now more than ever. “The government is very grateful to the media. You have done a lot to bring our message to Nigerians,” he said, quoting a poll as showing that 99 per cent of Nigerians are aware of the pandemic and 95 per cent said they have received information on how to protect themselves.
Mohammed said in the absence of any known drug or vaccine against the virus, the only option is “Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention (NPI):, which includes social distancing, wearing of face masks, avoiding mass gathering and ensuring personal hygiene.
He said NPI is hinged on getting the necessary information to members of the public, adding that this could only be done with the support of the media.
Chairman of NPAN Chief Nduka Obaigbena said the media has continued to sensitise Nigerians on COVID-19 on all platforms, even in the face of drastic reduction in revenue.
He called on the minister to enact a policy that will ensure that some online platforms pay for the original contents they generate from the various media outlets in Nigeria.
“In Australia, the Government has intervened in ensuring that Facebook, Google and Twitter pay for original contents by journalists and media practitioners as a matter of policy,” he said.
The requests by the NPAN for mitigating the effects of the pandemic include a soft loan, tax relief and other fiscal incentives as well as increased patronage of the media by the government.