President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday declared open, the 67th International Press Institute, IPI, World Congress in Abuja, emphasising the need for good journalism.
According to him, good journalism was crucial to good governance.
He therefore called on the participants at the congress to address the issue of good journalism with the required attention in their discussions.
His words: “The changing media landscape, the explosion of the social media and the rapidly evolving new technology have had a profound impact on media business and media practice. It is satisfying, therefore, that you have chosen an appropriate theme for your conference: Why Good Journalism Matters: Quality Media for Strong Societies.
“In a world where the borderline between hate speech and free speech has become blurred, good journalism matters. In an environment where fake news dwarfs investigative reporting, Good Journalism Matters. For survival in an increasingly competitive field, Good Journalism Matters. Good journalism promotes Good Governance. I, therefore, urge participants to give depth to the topic in your discussions and conclusions.”
The president expressed joy over the good relationship between Nigeria and the IPI, saying that prominent Nigerian journalists and media operators had continued to be in the leadership of the international body. .
He said from all indications, it was obvious that the vision of a professional journalism training institution in Nigeria had taken firm root with the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos established by IPI in 1963.
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The president pointed out that it was noteworthy that the annual world congress was holding in Nigeria during a period of global terrorism.
He said terrorism in Nigeria had however been contained.
According to him, while Boko Haram had technically been degraded and had no territorial hold anywhere, anymore, the Internally Displaced Persons were gradually returning to their communities in reasonable safety and security.
“It is a reflection of your assessment of Nigeria as a safe country that you gave the country the hosting right for this conference. As you have seen since your arrival, you made a wise and right choice,” the president said.
President Buhari explained that one of the reform initiatives of his administration was the introduction of visa on arrival policy.
He said the policy was designed to aid ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“I am glad that international delegates to this conference are beneficiaries of this policy,” he said.
