Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Senator Umaru Al-Makura, has been honoured along with other dignitaries for their outstanding national achievements.
He was honoured with the Media Personality Award 2025 by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The award was presented by the Vice President, Zone D of NUJ, Mr. Momoh Adeiza, at the NUJ, FCT press week held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, to mark the 2025 Press Week lecture and awards with the theme: “Journalism in a changing world: Press freedom, media, democracy and society”.
Sen. Al-Makura, who is the former governor of Nasarawa State and chairman of the occasion, said that “as a former governor, a legislator, and before that, a media man myself, I have seen firsthand how the press functions not only as the mirror of society but as its conscience.
“Journalism is more than reportage, it is the lifeblood of public accountability, the keeper of transparency, and the vessel through which democracy breathes. At the heart of every democratic enterprise lies the well-being of the people.
“Democracy is only worthwhile if it safeguards lives, protects rights, and promotes collective prosperity. These aims cannot be realised without a responsible and unfettered press, free to question, free to probe, and free to tell the truth, even when it is inconvenient.”
To promote what he termed as media revitalisation, Sen. Al-Makura proposed the establishment of a journalist safety and insurance framework, a media innovation and sustainability fund, promotion of media literacy campaigns in schools and communities and a national fact-checking alliance.
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, in his speech, titled: “Press freedom and democracy: Attaining professionalism without rancour,” challenged journalists to strengthen their fact-checking frameworks.
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“In light of the growing threat posed by misinformation, disinformation, and the deliberate spread of fake news, particularly through digital and social media platforms, I urge the Nigerian media to strengthen coordinated fact-checking frameworks.
“These should not be isolated initiatives, but structured partnerships between major newsrooms, independent fact-checkers, civil society groups, and relevant government institutions,” the speaker said.
Chairman of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Chief Ntufam Eta, who was decorated as Patron of the NUJ FCT Council, said he will continue supporting the council in achieving set goals.
The event was graced by the former Vice Chancellor of the Nasarawa State University, Prof. Mohammed Akaro, Director Chinese Cultural Center, Mr. Yan Jin Xi, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Mr. Sunday Dare, amongst other dignitaries.
In her speech, Chairperson of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, said the Press Week is more than a celebration, but a time to take stock and work hard towards national development.
