A former chief program executive at the Nigerian Television Authority, Ms. Eugenia Abu, has called on the owners of the country’s media institutions to put the nation first and rise above their personal interests.
She made the call Thursday while delivering a convocation lecture at Salem University’s fifth convocation ceremony in Lokoja.
Abu, who is the CEO of The Eugenia Abu Media, said that the media should be the enabler of the nation’s democracy through its media platforms by providing the necessary capabilities and infrastructure for its staff to perform effectively. optimal.
The conference was titled ‘Beyond the 2023 Elections: The Role of the Media in Deepening Democracy in Nigeria’.
According to Abu, the media play a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy, adding that they are the backbone of democracy.
He noted that the media should review how well they have carried out their constitutional assignment through Section 22 of the Constitution.
“What are professional media organizations doing to help ensure that the media is fulfilling its constitutional responsibility? What are you doing to build the capacity of your members?
“The media must be deeply informed in order to provide much-needed illumination to citizens on their rights and governance issues, while holding leaders accountable.
“It is important that different organizations and issues are represented in the media, whether it is about human trafficking, the physically disabled or electoral coverage,†he said.
According to her, voter education is essential for sustaining democracy and should not stop even after an election.
She added: “I am alarmed by the number of votes for Big Brother Naija, an entertainment program at one point three billion votes compared to the 96 million votes obtained by the winners of the presidential elections in four different election cycles.”