News
OPAN Frown at Dissemination of Fake News


The Online Publishers Association of Nigeria (OPAN) has expressed concern over the dissemination of fake news by some practitioners in the new media.
Mr Austyn Ogannah, OPAN’s president expressed this concern at the annual conference of the association in Lagos, on Tuesday.
He described the practice as unethical and unacceptable, saying that it threatens the peace and stability of the society.
Oganna said that the penchant of some practitioners to unethically dish out fake and malicious news just to draw traffic was eroding the credibility of the new media.
He described the new media as the future of journalism in view of its potential to reach more readers and stimulate development.
Oganna however said if the new media must realise its potential of influencing decisions and promoting development, the issue of fake news must be addressed.
“The issue of dissemination of fake news in the new media is creating a lot of credibility issue and we are deeply concerned.
“Though there are so many online publishers doing the right thing, the democratisation of the new media space has thrown up those who are not adhering to the ethics
“We need to deal with the issue. We need to entrench credibility in our practice. OPAN will continue to pursue efforts to address the issue,” he said.
Ogannah said it would be difficult to police or regulate the new media because of its open and liberal nature.
He, however, said OPAN would engage all its members on the need to shun fake news and operate by the ethics.
He said the conference was part of efforts to highlight the conversation to promote credibility in the new media.
According to him, OPAN, through exchange of ideas and mentorship from the leading lights in the industry, hoped to address the problem.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a panel of media experts spoke on the ways the new media could restore its credibility.
One of the panelists, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, noted that the new media was critical to the development of democracy.
He said that for the new media to live to its responsibilities, it must be self-regulated to address blackmail and fake news.
Abdullahi said the regulation of the social media should not be done to the extent of emasculating the media space.
“We should strike a balance between regulation of the new media and emasculation
of the space.
“The issue of fake news is dangerous. There should be a check so that people cannot just come to the space and dish out what could hurt the society.
“In some countries, you can’t just come online and post things that are not pleasant or untrue. You will be tracked.
“Also, in China, there are some websites you cannot open as a matter of regulation.
“The credibility of the new media is very important to the stability of the society and survival of democracy,” he said.
He urged media practitioners not to colour their reports with religious and ethnic sentiments in view of the dangers it might pose to the society.
Another panelist, Mr Kolawole Ologbodiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) said he was opposed to the regulation of the social media.
He said the new media was one of the best things to have happened to democracy, as it widens access to information and promotes free speech.
Ologbodiyan, however, urged users and players in the new media industry to always verify information before sending or sharing them out.
He said the Freedom of Information (FOI) was one of the legacies of the PDP-led government, to empower the media and citizens on accountability in government.
Ologbodiyan, however, frowned at the poor use of the Act to ask questions from government, urging the media to rise up to the occasion.
“The media should rise to the occasion and use the FOI tool to promote good governance,” he said.
The founder of Premium Times, Mr Dapo Olorunyomi, said remuneration of staff was key to ensuring credibility of the media.
He said if reporters are not paid their salaries, they might compromise ethics and truth in their work. (NAN)
Source News Express
News
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran


Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.
This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa.
Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village.
“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”
This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.
“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”
Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”
This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.
“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”
We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.
News
Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye
….Media Sustainability: Soneye Advocates Tax Reliefs, Independent Fund for Journalism


Former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Mr. Femi Soneye, has called on the Federal Government to support the Nigerian media with targeted incentives, including tax reliefs and import duty waivers on essential media tools.
Soneye made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday after receiving the NUJ FCT Excellence in Corporate Communications Award, conferred on him by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council.
The NUJ leadership, led by Chairperson Grace Ike, alongside the Deputy Chair, Secretary-General, and other executives, described Soneye as a consummate professional who has distinguished himself with tact and excellence in the communications field.
In his remarks, Soneye noted that while the Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, it continues to grapple with systemic challenges that weaken its effectiveness.
“The Nigerian media remains one of the most vibrant in Africa, but it also faces systemic challenges, financial, political, legal, and technological that weaken its effectiveness. The government can play a supportive role by granting tax incentives or relief on import duties for newsprint, broadcast equipment, and digital infrastructure,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to establish an independent media development fund to support investigative journalism, community radio, and newsroom innovation, drawing parallels with models in South Africa, the United States, and Canada.
The award underscores Soneye’s long-standing contributions to journalism and corporate communications, as well as his advocacy for a stronger, independent, and sustainable Nigerian media.


… GFD Executive Director emerges chapter Vice Chairperson*
The Lagos State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has elected a new executive council at the close of its flagship Lagos PR Fest 2025, reinforcing its commitment to professionalism, innovation, and societal impact.
In elections supervised by NIPR Registrar, Chief Uzoma Onyegbadue, Samuel Ayetutu emerged as Chairman, while Eniola Mayowa was elected Vice Chairman in a closely contested race.
Other members of the executive include Secretary Samuel Adeyemi, Assistant Secretary Rita Ali-Nock, Public Relations Officer Ogochukwu Okeke, Financial Secretary Bassey Nta, Treasurer Olabamiji Adeleye, Welfare Officer Funmilola Akintola, and Ex-Officio Provost Marshal Quadri Adeleke.
In his acceptance remarks, Ayetutu pledged to drive professional standards, promote inclusiveness, and foster collaboration among members to enhance the chapter’s influence locally and nationally.
This year’s PR Fest, themed “Urban Farming for Food Security: The Role of Communication”, convened communication professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore innovative strategies for tackling food security through effective public engagement.
Over the years, the Lagos PR Fest has evolved into a leading platform for advancing the role of public relations in societal development, with the 2025 edition underscoring the Institute’s mission to position communication as a driver of sustainable development in Nigeria.
-
News2 days ago
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
-
Energy4 days ago
President Tinubu Commissions WAGL’s 40,000 CBM LPG Vessel in South Korea
-
Finance2 days ago
Tinubu Launches Personal Income Tax Calculator to Improve Compliance, Fairness
-
News4 days ago
Government Should Support Media with Tax Incentives, Relief on Import Duties – Soneye
-
Hospitality2 days ago
Gov. Mbah and the Rebirth of Hotel Presidential
-
Hospitality2 days ago
Excitements in Enugu as Gov Mbah Unveils Reconstructed Hotel Presidential
-
Agriculture2 days ago
Niger State to End Direct Supply of Live Cows, Launch Meat Processing for Southwest Markets
-
Business11 hours ago
Lagos Mainland Trade Fair set to take place next month