Opening remarks by the Minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, at the special first-anniversary edition of the sectoral press briefing series, Organised by the federal ministry of information and national orientation, at the national press center, radio house, Abuja, on Monday, May 27, 2024.
I welcome you to the latest in the series of Sectoral Press Briefings to mark the First Anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration.
The Ministerial Sectoral Press Briefing kickstarted last Monday, with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, His Excellency George Akume, inaugurating the series.
This is in line with the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to not dwell on fanfare in his First Year but to fully be accountable to Nigerians by projecting the successes recorded in the Federal Government’s development objectives, known as the Renewed Hope Agenda.
As a recap, the Renewed Hope Agenda has eight priority areas, covering the following: Reforms for Sustained Growth, National Security, Food Security, Energy & Natural Resources, Infrastructure, Human Capital Development, Economic Diversification, and Governance. By working impactfully across all these areas, President Tinubu and the entire administration are determined to leave a lasting transformative impact on Nigeria.
We have here with us, today, two of my colleagues in the Cabinet: the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN. They will speak to us, and you will of course also be able to ask them questions.
Distinguished guests and media colleagues, we are resolute in making sure that in communicating government activities, our watch word is to Restore Trust in public communication as we amplify policies and programmes of the President Tinubu administration.
We are also creating an enabling environment for all players and stakeholders in the media and information ecosystem thrive. One highlight here is the recent directive by Mr. President to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, through the Bank of Industry (BOI), to extend its single-digit interest-rate financing to media organizations in the country.
It is now incumbent upon media practitioners to develop bankable proposals to access this financing facility being offered by the Federal Government, and I hope that you the media will take full advantage of this great opportunity.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
We have made efforts to ensure that this Briefing Series receives the widest possible coverage, through traditional and digital platforms. I would like to urge you, members of the press, to please report objectively and responsibly, through the headlines and the narratives that you will be reporting to the world from this Press Briefing.
Our objective here is to enlighten, inform and educate Nigerians and the world, and to ensure that everyone is carried along through the provision of detailed, relevant, credible and timely information.
I thank you all for joining us here today, and for being consistent in supporting us to make this Ministerial Press Briefing Series a resounding success.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mohammed Idris
Minister of Information and National Orientation
May 27, 2024
Abuja, Nigeria.