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| Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed (Photo Credit: Twitter) |
Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, claims he has no regrets about serving in President Muhammadu Buhari's cabinet.
This was said by the minister on Tuesday in Abuja when he testified in favour of the ministry's 2023 budget request before the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
In response to a query from a committee member, the minister said it was an honour for him to be asked to serve his country and that he had been doing so well.
Speaking about his difficulties, the minister claimed that the ministry lacked the funding to carry out its duties, which included managing the nation's image and reputation and promoting its cultures.
He said with the advent of the new media, his job, like that of other information managers, became more cumbersome.
He expressed regret that there was no corresponding funding to match new problems being created by social media.
The minister said notwithstanding the challenges, the ministry recorded tremendous achievements in the past seven years when he had been the minister.
“What I would consider the biggest achievement is deepening information flow between the government and the governed.
“Democracy is about the participation of all citizens, and nothing enhances citizens’ participation more than enhancing a two-way communication between the government and the governed,’’ he said.
In enhancing people’s participation in governance, the minister said he introduced town hall meetings where ministers told Nigerians what they were doing.
He said the meetings also allowed Nigerians to ask questions in a no-holds-barred manner and offer suggestions to the government.
Mr Mohammed said till date, the ministry had held more than 20 town hall meetings on major issues across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The minister said he had regular media briefings, media appearances and had engaged in massive advocacy on issues of national importance to sensitise the public.
The advocacies, according to him, included seeking support for the military, advocacy against fake news, disinformation and hate speech and advocacy against abuse of social media.
The minister said the ministry showcased the administration’s achievements through media tours of government projects across Nigeria.
“We have regularly engaged with the international media and NGOs to deepen their knowledge of critical national issues and ensure a positive global perception of the country.
“We have deepened stakeholders engagements, held meetings with professional media bodies like the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the National Association of Women Journalists, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria,’’ he said.
Mr Mohammed said the ministry also embarked on massive advocacy to enlighten Nigerians about COVID-19, the pandemic that killed almost seven million people worldwide.
He said without vaccines and drugs at the beginning of the pandemic, information was the most potent way to curtail the spread of the virus.
The minister said he launched the “Change Begins with Me’’ campaign aimed at attitudinal change among Nigerians.
He said the ministry spearheaded changes in the Nigerian Broadcasting Code and the Act setting up the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness.
Mr Mohammed said the ministry successfully hosted two international events.
They were the 61st meeting of African Ministers in charge of Tourism under the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the recently-concluded 2022 UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week.
(NAN)