5th May, 2015
The US Consul-General in Lagos, Mr Jeffrey Hawkins, on Tuesday said that the Nigerian media deserved kudos for a job well done in its coverage of the 2015 general elections in the country.
Hawkins spoke at a 2015 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, which assessed the news media’s performance covering the 2015 elections.
“By providing to the Nigerian electorate timely, factual, analytical, and objective information to help them understand the issues and where the candidates stand, the news media lived-up to a universal professional standard and contributed immensely to a healthy and functioning democracy in Nigeria.
“You and your peers deserve kudos for a job well done,” the Consul-General said.
Hawkins said that a free press was essential to a healthy democracy, noting that the news media must remain focused and engaged. “The news media can be a powerful force for change. It can effectively fulfil the roles of watchdog, gatekeeper and agenda-setter.
“It can improve governance by raising citizens’ awareness of social issues, enabling citizens to hold their governments to account, curbing corruption, and creating a civic forum for debate.
“I challenge you to continue to play an effective role in amplifying important issues that affect citizens,” he said.
Hawkins thanked the media for its role in strengthening democracy in the country and said the US mission in the country would continue to support journalists in the area of training.
According to him, the US mission, in the run-up to the elections, supported more than 28 election outreach events initiated by the Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate-General in Lagos for journalists across the country.
“To support the news media to play its central role in enhancing democracy, the US Government supports capacity building and defends the freedom of the press all over the world,” he said.
Hawkins said that he was glad that the training programmes helped the journalists as reflected in their output.
The envoy, who said he would be leaving the country in July, said the Nigerian media had left a deep impression on his mind.
He described the elections as an exciting milestone and urged the media not to relent in its role of being a watchdog and in agenda setting.
The consul-general, however, regretted that some journalists were attacked while performing their duties and said there was no place for violence in democracy.
“All of us need to stand together to condemn such attacks and intimidation against journalists,” he said.
On the whole, he described the 2015 elections in Nigeria as “a remarkable experience”, saying he was deeply honoured to be in the country when the elections took place.
“We were thrilled, not only with the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but also with the Nigerian voters. I believe Nigeria did well in the elections,” he said.
According to him, the example set by Nigeria in the elections is so important for the entire region.
NAN reports that a team of panelists, which included Mr Femi Adesina, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors and Dr Abigail Ogwezzy-Ndisika, Head, Department of Mass Communication, UNILAG, also spoke at the event.
Mr Emmanuel Ogala, Head, Digital Strategy, Premium Times; Prof. Emovwo Biakolo, Founding Dean, School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos and Mr Lanre Arogundade, Director, International Press Centre, were also among the speakers.
Others were: Mr Chamberlain Usoh, Producer and Host, Channels Television and Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye.
Ogala and Usoh gave their experiences in the coverage of the elections from the on-line and broadcast perspectives.
Biakolo, who appraised adherence to factual, balanced and fair reporting and commentaries in the election coverage, urged the media to do more of investigative reports.
He said that while patting the media on the back, there was a need for more insightful reports.
Ogwezzy-Ndisika on her part, said it was regrettable that some media carried some offensive adverts, which went without vetting by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria.
She said that the media faltered in this area on ethical grounds and should have refrained from publishing such offensive works.
Adesina spoke on the influence of media owners on fair and balanced reporting and commentaries in the election coverage and regretted that some owners sometimes determined the boundaries.
Akinfeleye said that editors should educate the politicians and publishers on the need to be balanced and not to betray public trust.
Mr Gbolahan Gbadamosi, National Publicty Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association, who was also present, said the body would continue to work with journalists, to deepen the nation’s democracy.