The Media at a Crossroads: NUJ FCT Council Press Week Sets National Agenda for Journalism and Inclusion.

By Raymond Enoch.

Amid the surging currents of digitalization and artificial intelligence, misinformation, and democratic uncertainty, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council launched its 2025 Press Week with a bold and urgent call that journalism must not only survive—it must lead.

Themed “Journalism in a Changing World: Press Freedom, Media, Democracy, and Society”, the week-long event served as a high-powered platform for policymakers, media veterans, and civil society actors to co-create a new vision for the role of journalism in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.

In a stirring keynote at the Transcorp Hilton, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, former Nasarawa State Governor and one-time media practitioner, described the press as “the conscience of society and the oxygen of democracy.” He warned that the threats facing journalism today—ranging from deepfakes and AI-generated disinformation to censorship and economic instability—require immediate collective action.

To that end, Al-Makura proposed a four-pronged national agenda to future-proof Nigerian journalism:

A Safety and Insurance Framework for reporters, especially those on dangerous beats.

A Media Innovation and Sustainability Fund to support digitization and professional training.

Media Literacy Campaigns across schools and communities.

A National Fact-Checking Alliance to tackle fake news ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Let this Press Week serve not as fanfare,” he said, “but as a covenant between the media and the society it serves.”

Speaker Abbas Champions Gender Equity, Digital Ethics
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, was honored with the NUJ FCT’s Gender Advocacy and Leadership Award. In his acceptance remarks, he emphasized the need for synergy between parliament and the press.

Abbas reaffirmed the House’s commitment to the Reserved Seats Bill for Women, calling it a “priority legislation.” He also urged the media to take the lead in ethical digital journalism, stating:

“The fight against disinformation must be structured, collaborative, and relentless. The Fourth Estate cannot afford fragmentation in the face of digital chaos.”

He touted key legislative transparency reforms, such as Open NASS, real-time plenary broadcasts, and civic engagement roundtables, asserting that “Democracy must be visible to be trusted.”

Earlier in her opening remarks at the Press Week Lecture, the Chairman, NUJ FCT Council Comrade Grace Ike outlined her administration’s focus on infrastructure, welfare, and legacy-building which she said includes a modernized NUJ Congress Hall to host training and civic events, the procurement of a Union Bus for journalist mobility, completion of the Pentagon Hall, a venue for public discourse and
launch of a Journalists’ Welfare Scheme, including health insurance

The long-anticipated Journalists’ Village housing project, in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and the Federal Mortgage Bank.

“These are not luxuries—they are essential investments in the future of our profession,” the Chairman declared.

While the week featured celebratory events—from Jummat Prayers, Health Promotion and medical Outreach, Sunday Thanksgiving service, to Public Lecture and awards —the undercurrent was clear: the media must retool to meet the challenges of the times.

Awardees who included Former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Tanko Al- Makura Chairman, UBEC, prominent Nigerians and former NUJ Council members were lauded for their impact on governance, media innovation, and civic rights. Government stakeholders, including the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and lawmakers, pledged support for press freedom, inclusion, and ethical standards.

In a closing note, Senator Al-Makura captured the spirit of the week:

“The pen, the camera, the voice—these are the tools that build or break nations. Use them wisely. Use them bravely.”

Highlights of the Awards, goodwill messages and speeches all re-echoed the imperative of Press Freedom as Corner of democracy in Nigeria.