By: Sandra Udeike
Senate President, Dr. Godswill Akpabio has urged journalists across the country to embrace responsible and ethical journalism as a tool for national development, warning against the growing threat of misinformation.
He made the call while delivering a keynote address at the 2025 World Press Freedom Day celebration organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Abuja.
In the address titled “Voices, Vision, and the Vigilance of Truth: The Role of the Legislature and the Press in Nation Building,” Senator Akpabio emphasized that accurate information remained essential to democracy.
“A nation without information is like a blindfolded captain,” he remarked. “Citizens must have access to reliable information to hold their leaders accountable.”
Speaking on the theme “The Legislature, Right to Information, and the Challenges of Nation Building in Nigeria,” the Senate President described the legislative arm as the “microphone of the people,” translating public concerns into actionable policies.
He emphasized that access to information was a fundamental right, calling it “the oxygen that keeps democracy breathing.”
Senator Akpabio called on journalists to remain vigilant and professional, describing them as “guardians of memory and interpreters of meaning.”
He highlighted the crucial role the media plays in nation-building and urged support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in navigating national challenges.
“Democracy is deepened not by ballots alone, but by dialogue,” he said, encouraging the media to facilitate constructive national conversations.
In a remarks, the NUJ President, Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to press freedom and ethical journalism.
He paid tribute to journalists facing threats, intimidation, and imprisonment, while calling for safer working environments.
The NUJ President also lauded the federal government’s declared support for free speech, urging it to translate rhetoric into action.
The event featured the NUJ’s Annual Press Freedom and Good Governance Awards, recognizing exceptional contributions across various sectors, some of them are:
Torch Bearers of Press Freedom Awards, presented to Jide Oyekunle, Secretary, NUJ FCT Council, Idibia Gabriel, Matthew Ochei, Lucy Ezeliora, Ibrahim Ayyuba Isah, and Ibrahim Isha.
Others are Good governance awards to:
Senator Godswill Akpabio, Arc. Sunny Echono, Dr. Emem Omokaro, NNPC Ltd, Julius Berger Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and Dr. Nasir Idris, Governor of Kebbi State. While Chief Henry Akunebu (SAN) received the Defender of Press Freedom Award.
