Nigerian Press seek protection against tech threat

Nigeria’s major media and journalism organisations have issued a joint call on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently intervene to protect the Nigerian press from what they describe as the growing dominance of global digital platforms over the country’s information ecosystem.

In a strongly worded statement released under the banner of the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), the groups warned that Nigeria risks surrendering control of its democratic conversation, national cohesion, and information sovereignty to unregulated foreign technology companies if decisive action is not taken.

The NPO — comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) — described the situation as a strategic national threat, not merely an industry challenge.

According to the statement, global digital platforms now dominate Nigeria’s digital advertising market, control algorithms that determine what Nigerians see or ignore, and extract revenue offshore, while local newsrooms struggle to survive.

“This is not conventional market disruption,” the organisations said. “It is the emergence of private, transnational gatekeepers over public discourse, operating beyond the effective reach of national democratic accountability.”

The media bodies warned that the erosion of professional journalism poses serious consequences for national security, electoral integrity, social cohesion, and press freedom, noting that no counterterrorism or intelligence framework can compensate for the collapse of credible information systems.

They also stressed that press freedom cannot exist without economic viability, arguing that news organisations unable to pay salaries, fund investigations, or retain skilled professionals are, in effect, unfree — regardless of constitutional guarantees.

Drawing parallels with global responses, the NPO cited actions taken by the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa, where governments have introduced competition laws and bargaining frameworks to curb the dominance of digital gatekeepers and ensure fair remuneration for news content.

The organisations urged Nigeria to adopt a homegrown, legally grounded solution, either through existing digital legislation or targeted amendments, that would:
Recognise journalism as a public-interest activity
Correct extreme bargaining power imbalances
Ensure fair compensation for Nigerian news content
Preserve innovation, competition, and consumer choice

They noted that Nigeria already has capable institutions, including the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), with statutory powers to enforce proportionate remedies and penalties where necessary.
Describing the appeal as “a call to leadership, not alarm,” the NPO warned that the cost of inaction would be borne by society at large through weakened institutions, rising misinformation, diminished public trust, and fragile national cohesion.
“Protecting the Nigerian press is not an industry rescue,” the statement concluded. “It is an investment in national stability, democratic durability, and Nigeria’s standing as a serious constitutional democracy.”

The statement was jointly signed by:
Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru, President, Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN)
Mr. Eze Anaba, President, Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE)
Comrade Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos, Chairman, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON)
Danlami Nmodu, mni, President, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP)
Comrade Alhassan Yahaya, President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)

The organisations said they are ready to collaborate with the Presidency, the National Assembly, regulators, civil society, broadcasters, and technology companies to design a fair, forward-looking Nigerian framework — stressing that the moment to act is now.

Crediblenewsng.com