NGE woos donor agencies, others to patronise Nigerian media

Funke Egbemode

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Monday enjoined donor agencies and other international organisations in Nigeria to begin to see the media as business entities.

The NGE president, Funke Egbemode, made the appeal in Lagos at a 3-Day Media Capacity Building Workshop for the Sustainability of the National Quality Infrastructure Project.

The workshop with the theme, “Evolving Quality Culture for Media Professionals within the Context of Quality in Nigeria Trade and Industry,’’ was organised by the EU and the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

Egbemode, however, said that the media would continue to discharge its social responsibility, noting that “it’s important for these organisations to know that the media also has bills to pay’’.

“This is a very great initiative by UNIDO and others to build the capacity of the Nigerian media.

“But donor agencies and others should know that the media is also in business for business, and will continue to perform its social responsibility in our society.

“The media is currently operating in a harsh situation. I have been in this media business for three decades now. We have never seen it this bad.

“Know that if we do not support the media, the media cannot continue to be in the business of discharging its social responsibility,’’ Egbemode said.

Dr Qasim Akinreti, the Chairman of the Lagos State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said that the council was currently having discussions with stakeholders in the media industry for a Media Enhancement Bill.

Akinreti said that the proposed media enhancement bill was aimed at
boosting the growth of media organisations operating in Lagos State.

He said that the bill would focus on the welfare and prompt payment of Journalists salaries in the state, as was currently being practiced in South Africa.

The chairman urged Journalists to look beyond the newsrooms, and begin to equip themselves through exposure and opportunities in capacity building programmes to prepare for their future.

The UNIDO Chief Technical Adviser, Dr Shaukat Malik, said that the workshop was meant to expose the participants to the five components of consumer protection.

Malik said that capacity building workshop would educate the participants of their components and importance to the country.

The UNIDO official said that the media, as a custodian of information, would have a role to play in improving the quality of products for local and international consumption.

According to him, countries like the U. S., China and the UK have achieved about 60 per cent in product certification, while Nigeria is still within five per cent in her certification and standardisation.

He said the quality project was to provide for Nigeria’s international trade, as well as improve the quality of Nigeria’s products meant for home consumption and for export.

 ROYAL NEWS reports that over 60 journalists are attending the three-day workshop.