Shettima seeks media-govt partnership to deepen democracy
Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday called for a stronger partnership between the media and government. He urged journalists to deploy constructive engagement and critical thinking in strengthening the nation’s democracy.
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Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday called for a stronger partnership between the media and government.
He urged journalists to deploy constructive engagement and critical thinking in strengthening the nation’s democracy.
Speaking at the public presentation of a book, titled: “My Life and Journalists Hangout” and the 60th birthday celebration of popular TV journalist Babajide Kolade-Otitoju in Abuja, Shettima noted that the health of any democracy depends significantly on the vigilance and responsibility of the media.
The Vice President said societies are not weakened by a lack of ideas but by the absence of individuals willing to rigorously interrogate them.
“A society is destroyed not by the absence of ideas but by the absence of men and women with the courage to interrogate ideas, to test them against reason, and to ask the difficult questions that save a people from the seduction of easy answers,” he said.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office f the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, said Shettima stressed that democracy transcends elections and institutions.
The Vice President said the media plays a vital role in shaping public consciousness.
“The measure of every democracy is not in the rituals of elections alone or the architecture of institutions. It is also in the sensibility and sensitivity of the media,” he said.
Shettima warned that unchecked narratives could erode truth and weaken public institutions.
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The Vice President noted that “everything deteriorates when left unquestioned,” including power, governance systems, and national discourse.
He added that the media must avoid becoming “an accomplice to confusion”.
Praising Kolade-Otitoju for his contribution to the media industry, Shettima described the journalist as a symbol of “democratic courage”.
The Vice President applauded his long-standing commitment to intellectual rigour and public accountability through his television programme, “Journalists’ Hangout.”
He said the celebrant had nurtured a culture of critical engagement in Nigeria, describing his career as one defined by integrity, relevance, and enduring intellectual vitality.
“To spend decades in the service of journalism with integrity intact, with relevance undiminished, and with intellectual energy still alive, is a rare accomplishment,” Shettima added.
The Vice President further highlighted the importance of critical thinking in national development, saying it helps discipline public discourse, counters prejudice, and protects society from conspiracy theories fueled by ignorance and fear.
Also, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, praised the media for its patriotic role in advancing democracy and national development.
In his review of the book, Prof. Kyari Mohammed described the nine-chapter work as a comprehensive account of Kolade-Otitoju’s professional journey across print and broadcast journalism, recommending it to policymakers and media practitioners.
A former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Danladi Bako, described the celebrant as a courageous professional and thanked Shettima for honouring journalists through his presence at the event.
There were tributes from presidential spokesman Sunday Dare, broadcaster Gbenga Aruleba, and Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who highlighted Kolade-Otitoju’s contributions to journalism and democratic development.
Dignitaries at the event included Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Usman Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), and Babagana Zulum (Borno), alongside the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, among others.
