In a statement, the head of the Nigerian Newspaper Proprietors’ Association, Kabiru Yusuf, characterized the development as a significant move taken by the sector to boost public trust in the media by swiftly resolving issues involving potential ethical violations in media content.

The former managing director of Guardian Newspapers, Mr. Emeka Izeze, Mr. A. B. Mahmoud, SAN, the former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, and Prof. Chinyere Okunna, the deputy vice chancellor of academics at Paul University in Awka, Anambra State, are the members of the commission who are drawn from the media, the bar, academia, and civil society.

Others include Dr. Hussain Abdu, a Development Specialist and  Country Director, Care International (Nigeria); Mr. Lanre Idowu, Editor-in-Chief, Diamond Publications Ltd. and Founder, Diamond  Awards For Media Excellence; Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda, Mrs. Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo, a journalist, lawyer and arbitrator; Eugenia Abu, broadcaster, author, and columnist, and the Chair, House of Representatives Committee on Information.

“The process is being driven by the Nigeria Press Organisation comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, along with other strategic media players and the civil society, in particular, the MacArthur Foundation.

“The commission will serve as an independent forum for resolving complaints about the press quickly, fairly, and free of charge; maintain high standards of Nigerian journalism and journalistic ethics; and defend the freedom of the press and the rights of the people to know,” the statement said.

It added that before February 22, 2023, the announcement of the commission’s composition, each media house had been directed to institute the local Ombudsman at the newspaper level.

The National Ombudsman will serve as an appellate body for the local Ombudsman as well as a court of first instance.

The programme is open to media practitioners across the country, including print, electronic, and online platforms, as well as social media content creators.

This was revealed in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the six-month, well-funded fellowship for Nigerian media practitioners was designed to serve as a bastion for sustainable growth and development of the nation’s ever-changing media scene.

The statement said the course would give participants “a greater understanding of Nigeria’s technology sector and the nexus between media and technology” whilst helping them (participants) to adapt to the changing realities.

It also noted that fellows would be accorded access to professional resources and mentorship from the SMC faculty.

The Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, during the launch of the event, said, “We are driven by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected world and are driving accelerated growth by leading digital solutions for Nigeria’s progress.

“Against this backdrop, the media landscape continues changing at remarkable speeds, boosted by new technologies.

“Thus, it is only fitting that we support developments in the Nigerian media space with our infrastructure and enable capacity building initiatives to enable innovation in media practice.”

The telecom boss expressed satisfaction over partnering with the Pan-Atlantic University, given the latter’s expertise, which he said had contributed immensely to the professional development of the media industry in Nigeria and across the African continent.

In his reaction, the Vice Chancellor, Pan-Atlantic University, Prof. Enase Okonedo, stated, “The School of Media and Communication was established to train professionals who will uphold the highest intellectual, ethical and professional values that promote creativity, critical knowledge, social responsibility and the spirit of enterprise.

“The MTN Media Innovation Programme could not have come at a better time for Nigerian media practitioners to imbibe these pertinent values,” Okonedo added.

The course, fully sponsored by MTN Nigeria, would be available to 20 successful applicants, the statement summed up.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known at a ceremony on renaming of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Headquarters building after the late Wada Maida in Abuja on Thursday.

The Minister accused media houses of portraying Nigeria in bad light before the international community, adding that they are not being factual in their report of security agents in the fight against insecurity.

He said; “Even when some media organizations report fake news, they never have the decency to retract such stories and apologise. They simply move on as if nothing has happened.

“We are not saying the media should not report on the security challenges we face. All we are saying is: be fair and report accurately the efforts being made by the state and federal governments to tackle the challenges.

“Even if you don’t want to encourage the men and women in uniform fighting to keep us safe, please don’t discourage them with negative reporting. The security challenges we face today will be successfully tackled and Nigeria will not cease to exist, despite the antics of naysayers.”