New National Media Complaints Commission inaugurated to promote press freedom
The Nigerian media is set to inaugurate the National Media Complaints Commission (NMCC), a nine-member board also known as the National Ombudsman, on Monday. This move aims to strengthen public confidence in the media as a credible barometer of public opinion.
In a press release signed by Malam Kabiru A. Yusuf, President of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and President of the Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), the inauguration of the NMCC is a major step by the industry to enhance public trust through the prompt resolution of issues relating to ethical breaches in media content.
The commission will be made up of members drawn from the media, the bar, academia, and civil society; Mr Emeka Izeze, FNGE, former Managing Director of The Guardian newspaper, will serve as the Chairman. Other members include Mr. A. B Mahmoud, SAN, OON, former President of the Nigerian Bar Association; Prof Chinyere Stella Okunna, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of Paul University, Awka, Anambra State; Dr Hussain Abdu, a Development Specialist and Country Director of Care International (Nigeria); Mr Lanre Idowu, FNGE, Editor-in-Chief of Diamond Publications Ltd. and Founder of Diamond Awards For Media Excellence (DAME); Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director of Media Rights Agenda (MRA); Mrs. Dupe Ajayi-Gbadebo, FNGE, a Journalist, Lawyer, and Arbitrator; Mrs. Eugenia Abu, Broadcaster, Author, and Columnist; and the Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Information.
The Nigeria Press Organisation (NPO), comprising the NPAN, the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), along with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), and other strategic media players and civil society, particularly the MacArthur Foundation, are driving the process.
The commission will serve as an independent forum for resolving complaints about the press quickly, fairly, and free of charge. It will maintain high standards of Nigerian journalism and journalistic ethics and defend the freedom of the press and the people’s right to know.
Prior to the announcement of the commission’s composition on February 22, 2023, each media house was directed to institute the local Ombudsman at the newspaper level.
The National Ombudsman will serve as an appellate body for the local Ombudsman as well as a court of first instance.
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