Shettima Urges Editors To Report Nigeria’s Economic Progress Alongside Challenges
VICE President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerian editors to provide balanced coverage of the country’s economic reforms by reporting both the progress recorded and the challenges confronting citizens.
Shettima made the call in a goodwill message to the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu, themed, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”
The Vice President said the media had a responsibility to scrutinise government while also ensuring that Nigerians received the full picture of developments in the country.
He said the reforms of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration had required difficult choices but were beginning to produce encouraging economic indicators, citing Nigeria’s reported second-quarter 2026 economic growth of 4.43 per cent, compared with 4.23 per cent in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
According to him, growth was recorded across agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, and services.
The Vice President also noted that inflation had moderated from levels recorded earlier in the reform period, while acknowledging that the ultimate test remained the effect of economic changes on the cost of living and purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
“These numbers give us reason for confidence, but not for complacency,” Shettima said.
He added that the administration’s objective was to ensure that macroeconomic stability translated into jobs, stronger businesses, improved purchasing power and better living conditions for Nigerians.
Shettima said government and the media would not always agree, stressing that disagreement was an important part of democracy when it was informed by facts and conducted responsibly.
He urged editors to continue interrogating government policies while also reporting areas where progress was being made.
The Vice President said the media had earned its position as the fourth estate because of its role in informing citizens, scrutinising power, shaping public debate and preserving the institutional memory of the nation.
He also commended journalists and editors who had continued to perform their duties despite the sacrifices and pressures associated with professional journalism.
Shettima said the media’s responsibility had become even more important as Nigeria approaches another election cycle.
He noted that citizens could only make meaningful choices at the ballot box when they had access to credible information.
The Vice President also highlighted the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence, saying technology capable of producing convincing falsehoods at unprecedented speed had made professional journalism even more important.
He urged editors to remain critical gatekeepers between information and manipulation.
Shettima commended the Nigerian Guild of Editors for sustaining the conference and choosing a theme focused on democracy, media responsibility and the integrity of information.
