Dr Gideon Isika, an Associate Professor of Mass Communication, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State, has urged journalists to promote peace as Nigeria grapples with sundry challenges.
Isika gave the charge while delivering a lecture to commemorate “World Press Freedom Day” with the theme, “Journalists as a Tool for Conflict Prevention and Peace Building.”
The event was organised by the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) in Asaba on Wednesday.
He said that media had a critical role to play in conflict resolution, more so now that the country continued to grapple with mounting socio-economic and political challenges.
According to him, media professionals have to take a more proactive role in fostering peace, accountability, and national cohesion.
Isika expressed concern that the media in Nigeria has not sufficiently risen to the responsibility of shaping national discourse toward unity and stability.
He noted that, this was so, in spite of the widespread acknowledgment that the country was facing significant structural and governance challenges.
He said that deliberate efforts by journalists to “ignite constructive national rebirth” remained limited.
According to him, many Nigerians continue to attribute the country’s present condition to historical factors, such as the 1914 amalgamation under British colonial administration.
“The media must move beyond blame narratives and focus on actionable solutions that promote cohesion and development,” he stressed.
Isika drew comparisons with countries such as Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, and Egypt—nations he said had made remarkable progress despite difficult starting points.
He decried the fact that Nigeria, in contrast, had struggled to translate its vast human and natural resources into meaningful development across successive administrations.
He quoted a media scholar, Aghalino, as saying that journalists in Nigeria had often failed to exert adequate pressure on governments to uphold transparency and accountability.
He claimed that a segment of the media had been co-opted into serving as tools for propaganda by political and military elites.
Isika further linked poor governance, including widespread corruption and mismanagement of public funds, to rising insecurity and violence in the country.
He said, “There is a direct connection between official wrongdoing and societal instability”.
He warned that when state institutions become instruments for exploitation, public safety would be undermined.
Isika also raised concerns about compromised editorial independence.
He alleged that some media executives and editors were influenced by government patronage, thereby weakening the credibility and effectiveness of journalism in Nigeria.
The don however noted that in spite of the several challenges, journalists remained critical agents of change and must recommit to ethical standards.
He stressed that respect for truth and the public’s right to accurate information should remain the cornerstone of the profession.
“The journalist must report only in accordance with facts of which the origin is known.
“There should be no suppression of essential information or falsification of documents,” Isika said.
State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Churchill Oyowe, and Executive Director, New Media, to Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori, Felix Ofou, urged journalists to uphold the principles of fairness, objectivity, and responsible reporting.
Also the Director-General, State Orientation Bureau, Dr Latimore Oghenesivbe, applauded the media for its vibrancy and independent stands in highlighting government policies and programmes.
In his address of welcome, Chairman, DOPF, Mr Emmanuel Enebeli, said the forum had 50 registered and tested practitioners.
He said the programme was put together by the online publishers as their contribution toward building more competent professionals, promote peace and accountability in the society.
Enebeli pledged to make the lecture an annual event, while thanking the guest lecturer, others and members of the forum for their support.
