SOME unnamed ministers and government officials have failed to show up at a media event organised to review President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.
The two-day event with the theme: “The First Year” was hosted via live television on July 17 and 18, 2024, and was organised by Daria Media.
It was supported by the MacArthur Foundation in collaboration with TVC News.
According to the organisers, the event focused on the economy and security during Tinubu’s first year in office.
However, the organisers said virtually all government ministers and officials invited to the event declined to turn up at the last minute.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Daria Media Limited, Kadaria Ahmed, said it was disappointing that government officials didn’t take up the opportunity to engage with Nigerians what their principal’s administration had done since it took over power.
She said Daria Media would continue to deepening democracy by championing robust, informed conversations between citizens and government on critical national issues.
According to a statement by the programmes officer of Daria Media, Tomi Olugbemi, the two-day event concentrated on the economy and security during Tinubu’s first year in office.
Olugbemi said the Africa director of the MacArthur Foundation, Kole Shettima, who was in attendance on both days, said the foundation was delighted to support the programme.
The statement quoted Shettima as saying the MacArthur Foundation “is committed to ensuring accountability in our country. We do this by supporting both government institutions and civil society organisations.”
According to Olugbemi, on July 17, a panel of experts discussed the state of Nigeria’s economy, covering critical issues such as economic growth, inflation, and employment.
Olugbemi added that one of the experts, the chief economist at SPM Professionals, Paul Alaje, said while responding to an audience question about inclusion, “We cannot say we are building a robust nation without including critical stakeholders. We must demonstrate that we are one nation by including persons with disabilities because they are critical stakeholders.”
According to the statement by Olugbemi, “The second day, July 18, focused on security and governance in Nigeria. A different set of experts including Brig. Gen. S.K, Usman, former Director of Army Public Relations, examined President Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to tackle security challenges. While addressing some root causes of insecurity in Nigeria, General Usman said that in most instances, non-state actors were just filling a vacuum, and that’s why there are all the manifestations of security challenges that we have.”
The group said the event was well-attended, with participation from the studio audience and viewers across the country.
The event was broadcast on TVC News, FRCN, Radio Now 95.3FM Lagos, and WFM 91.7 and streamed on all of Daria Media’s social media platforms.
This is the second time Daria Media has hosted “The First Year”. In 2016, the media organisation hosted government officials including former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and the former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to review one year of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
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