Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, on Wednesday was re-elected as the president of the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
The election which took place at the secretariat of the organisation, Maryland, Ikeja Lagos during its 2023 Annual General Meeting, also saw Mrs. Maiden Alex-Ibru of The Guardian newspaper re-elected as the deputy president.
Yusuf, who was elected unopposed by affirmation is the chairman and founder of the Media Trust, publisher of Daily Trust newspaper.
Other members who were elected officers of the organisation are Mr Frank Aigbogun as the vice president, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Champion newspapers, Mrs. Nwadiuto Iheakanwa was re-elected as the Publicity Secretary and Mr. Fidelis Anosike (Secretary- General) who took over from Alhaji Mohammed Idris who is now the minister of Information and Strategy.
Addressing journalists shortly after the meeting, the President noted NPAN would have an audience with President Bola Tinubu as a way of giving its contribution towards moving the nation forward.
Specifically, Yusuf said, there was the need for Federal Government to assist the media industry towards the production of newsprints locally in order to reduce the cost of production.
He said, “Mainly, we looked at the problem of the industry and we set up committees on how to carry on and on the idea of Ombudsman.
“Funding is a general problem in a depressed economy. Newspapers are doing well, I don’t think they can do better than what they are doing now because of the depressed economy.
“We don’t want a situation where people lose their jobs, we, in the industry don’t want that to happen. That is why we are trying to see in terms of helping ourselves and to ask the government in terms of mechanism they can do to help the industry.
“I think the new President should engage as many stakeholders as possible including the media, so that we can be of benefit in the area of selling ideas on how to run the country. That is what democracy is all about, every sector, every industry has special problem, so we are trying to engage. We want to have an audience with him and tell him what we have for the country in general and what can be done about our industry.”
He further disclosed that, “one idea that came during the meeting was to see what we can do about the three newsprints companies. What can we do to go back to local newsprints production. If we do that, the problem of dollars will be a thing of the past. But that is going to be a tall order but we certainly shall discuss that with government to see how it can come on board.”
Also speaking in the same vein, the Publicity Secretary, Ihekanwa said the meeting looked at “the issue of survival in the terrain. We are looking at how to harness the best in this environment.”
She added, “I’m very optimistic that with the new President, we look forward to a new things.”
