IMPI - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jun, Tue, 2025

IMPI, others say Nigeria recording economic growth, advises Tinubu not to slow down

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By Kadiri Abdulrahman

A Nigerian Think Tank, the Independent Media and Policy Initiatives (IMPI), other institutional and individual analysts say Nigeria ‘s economy is recording growth.

The IMPI advised President Bola Tinubu not to allow the 2027 election cycle to slow down tbe economic reforms.

The Chairman of the initiative, Omoniyi Akinsiju, gave the advice at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Akinsiju, as Nigeria’s election cycle edges towards 2027, the president should not be tempted to slow the pace of change.

“The president should forge ahead with the reforms with the overriding aim of making ordinary Nigerians, and not just investors, to feel the benefits of his shock therapy,

“We join other institutional and individual analysts that have objectively reviewed the impact of the economic restructuring under the Tinubu administration and returned a positive outlook for the economy consequent upon the reforms,’’ he said.

Akinsiju referenced the validation of Tinubu’s economic reforms by Moody’s Rating which had upgraded Nigeria’s rating by a notch to ‘B3’ from ‘Caa1,’ citing significant improvements in the country’s external and fiscal positions.

He said that Moody’s upgrade of Nigeria’s rating,, another global financial service rating company, Fitch Ratings, had upgraded Nigeria’s sovereign credit rating to B with a stable outlook.

“This upgrade, which occurred on April 11, reflects increased confidence in the government’s commitment to policy reforms.

” Prior to the upgrade, Nigeria’s rating was at B- with a positive outlook. The upgrade is attributed to the government’s policy reforms, particularly those implemented since June 2023.’’ he said.

Akinsiju said that the World Bank, had always been effusive in commending the economic reforms in spite threat of political backlash.

“In one of its Nigeria Development Update (NDU) reports, titled “Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth”, the World Bank noted that the improvements in fiscal conditions were primarily driven by increased federation revenue.

“This has contributed to the positive economic outlook for the country.”

It mentioned that economic growth in the last quarter of 2024 had surged to 4.6 per cent on a year-on-year basis, bringing the full-year growth for 2024 to 3.4 per cent,” he said.

According to him, that is the highest since 2014, excluding the ‪2021-2022‬ COVID-19 rebound.

Akinsiju also mentioned the London-based Financial Times newspaper, which was more declaratory in its review of Nigeria’s economic review.

“In a report, the Financial Times notes that Nigeria is in better shape than at any time in the past decade just halfway through the first term in office of the Tinubu administration.

“The report acknowledged that its verdict may come as a surprise or even sound like a sick joke to tens of millions of Nigerians who are suffering the worst cost of living crisis in a generation,`’ Akinsiju said.

He said that although unemployment had been high, there was a shift in the needle that suggests signs of job creation in the economy in 2024, driven by economic growth and sector-specific initiatives.

“Though challenges remain, particularly regarding youth unemployment, we submit that the services sector has played a significant role in boosting employment in the country,” he said.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

Consider national interest in reporting security challenges- IMPI chair

Ismail Abdulaziz
Jun, Tue, 2025

Politics

Consider national interest in reporting security challenges- IMPI chair

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By Emmanuel Oloniruha

The Chairman of the Independent Media and Policy Initiative, IMPI, Dr Omoniyi Akinsiju, has urged the media in Nigeria to be more circumspect in reporting the security situation in the country.

According to him, this is because more attention is paid to challenges in the war against banditry and terrorism than the gallant efforts being made by the security agencies and government to stem the tide.

He disclosed this in a paper titled “Importance of the media in information gathering and disclosure in the face of security challenges” at the 6th Timeline Awareness Initiative Lecture/Awards in Lagos.

Akinsiju said that national interest should be the uppermost considered when the media is reporting security issues about the country.

He cited studies on the role of the media in peacebuilding to support his position.

“Researchers of conflict situations in Nigeria have noted that for different reasons and in different ways, media coverage of Boko Haram and the bandits have been similarly destabilising of the Nigerian state.

“In short, the perception is that the media approach to reporting news on conflict and organised crime in Nigeria has tended to make things worse by generally helping to weaken the state’s response to those issues.

“Perhaps, this was the spectacle agitating the mind of Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, when he publicly appealed to journalists to not give “undue attention” to bandits and other criminals terrorising the country by reminding journalists that “bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and pirates are waging not only a physical battle but also a psychological war to undermine the morale of the Nigerian military.”

Akinsiju noted that a similar view was expressed during the last administration at the height of the war against insurgency in North East Nigeria

“Three years before Mr Idris raised the alarm over the nature of media reporting of banditry and other criminalities in the country, his immediate predecessor, Mr Lai Mohammed, had suggested that the media in Nigeria reported bandit attacks more than the success recorded by the government and security forces.

“Thus stressing the need for the media to provide “positive coverage of the successes” to encourage the affected states, security agencies, and the federal government.”

He used the developed countries as an example of jurisdictions where the adversarial style of reportage is jettisoned when national interest is involved.

“The received wisdom on this question is the Western-style liberalist perspective, which holds that the media should take an adversarial stance against the state to hold the government accountable and safeguard the rights of citizens.

“But when the issue pertains to the state itself, as distinct from the government of the day, such as an existential threat or a challenge to the dominant ideologies of democracy and capitalism, or even of rivalries between states in international affairs, the media will adopt subtle, sometimes so subtle approaches to doing news in ways that stand by the state,” the IMPI chairman added.

He said that this should be the benchmark of the relationship between media practitioners and the military authorities in conflict situations across the country.(NAN)

Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz