LAGOS (SUNDIATA POST)- The Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali M. Ali has urged organisers of proposed protest to avoid plunging the nation into chaos and unrest with the planned demonstration.
Ali spoke with NAN correspondents on the sideline of the Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture, 2024, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) on Tuesday in Lagos.
The managing director who stated that he was not averse to peaceful protest as a democrat, said that most protests usually left behind sour tastes in the mouth.
Ali said: “Given our history, rarely do protests begin peacefully and end peacefully, especially the ones that are fuelled by political agitations.
“Take for example, the EndSars protest, it started peacefully but at the end of the day it became something else.
“If you look at it, there are still people who are still angry at the loss of the 2023 general elections. Let us not kill ourselves.”
He said that some protesters were already making open threats on social media to attack police stations.
“Only two days ago, someone was arrested because he came openly on social media to say they are going to attack police stations. You can imagine what will happen,” he said.
Ali urged those supporting protest over economic challenges to look at the international pressure on economies.
“Worldwide, there is serious pressure on national economies. So, let us not kill ourselves,” the managing director said.
He said that people should not use the protest to vent their anger and frustration in a violent protest.
He noted that dialogue and discussions would yield better results on how to address the nation’s socio-economic challenges.
Ali said: “Already in some parts of the country, some people are plotting to forcefully open warehouses where they think palliatives have been stacked.
“Most of the young people do not know any better. Unfortunately, their only source of information is news feeds on social media.
“Most of the news feeds as you know are fabricated. Young people who consume social media products, sometime, do not have critical minds; they swallow everything hook, line and sinker.”
Speaking on the theme of the memorial lecture, “Rapidly Changing Media Landscape: Media Survival Strategies”, the managing director said that the current challenges facing the media industry were quite enormous.
According to him, however, challenges are meant to be addressed by the media.
“If we look at the challenges, we should also look at the opportunities because in challenges lie opportunities.
“The technology is the foremost advantage for media owners and publishers. The media should leverage on technology like what we are trying to do in NAN.
“How do you leverage on technology? When you get the knowledge and translate the knowledge to skills, apply them to solve the problem,” Ali said.
He said that many of the challenges facing the media industry were in form of finances.
“If you look at it, the revenue streams are dwindling. Why? Because of digital media, contents are being stolen routinely.
“What do we do? How do you check theft of your products/contents?
“Unless we put together our contents in one place and then charge people who use the contents, chances are that the media will continue to wallow,” Ali said.
He urged Nigerian media practitioners to look at the challenges, the alternatives and leverage on technologies and the Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“With the coming of digital media, smart devices are replacing hard copies but newspapers are going to remain for a very long time unless they don’t adapt,” he said.
NAN reports that the lecture brought together eminent media owners and publishers who took turns to laud the legacies of Jakande, the first Civilian Governor of Lagos State and renowned journalist.
Some of the media owners in attendance included Mr Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman, ThisDay/Arise Media Group; Mr Sam Amuka, the Publisher of Vanguard Media Group; amongst others. (NAN)
