NPO WARNS TINUBU: GLOBAL DIGITAL PLATFORMS THREATEN NIGERIA’S DEMOCRACY

The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has warned that the growing dominance of global digital platforms poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, national security and social cohesion, urging President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to News Point Nigeria, the umbrella body for Nigeria’s media industry said unregulated global digital “gatekeepers” are increasingly shaping public discourse in ways that weaken professional journalism and distort democratic processes.

According to the NPO, algorithms designed and controlled outside

Nigeria now determine what information citizens see, amplify, or ignore, creating what it describes as a dangerous imbalance of power in the country’s information space.

The NPO comprises major media stakeholders, including the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GCOP).

The statement was jointly signed by Lady Maiden Alex-Ibru (NPAN), Mr Eze Anaba (NGE), Salihu Dembos (BON), Mr Danlami Nmodu (GCOP) and Mr Alhassan Yahaya (NUJ).

While acknowledging that digital platforms have expanded access to information and innovation, the organisation warned that their unchecked influence is undermining the sustainability of professional journalism, which is the foundation of informed citizenship and accountable governance“Global digital platforms now dominate Nigeria’s digital advertising market, while Nigerian news content is widely monetised on these platforms without fair compensation,” the NPO said, noting that revenue that once sustained local newsrooms is increasingly being extracted offshore.

“This is not a conventional market disruption. It is the emergence of private, transnational gatekeepers over public discourse, operating beyond effective national democratic accountability.”

The media body cautioned that the continued spread of digitally manipulated narratives could worsen misinformation and disinformation, deepen polarisation, and fuel insecurity across the country.

“In a multi-ethnic, multi-religious federation, credible journalism plays a stabilising role,” the statement said.

“When trusted news institutions weaken, misinformation and coordinated falsehoods expand unchecked.”

The NPO further warned that no security or intelligence framework could fully compensate for the collapse of a credible information ecosystem, stressing that elections, public accountability, and citizen participation depend on reliable, professionally produced news.

“When professional journalism is displaced by algorithmic virality, democratic processes become vulnerable to distortion, foreign influence and manipulation,” it added.

Calling for government intervention, the organisation urged the federal government to treat professional journalism as critical national infrastructure comparable to education, healthcare, and the judiciary rather than merely a commercial activity.

The NPO also called on regulatory agencies such as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to address market distortions and sanction practices that undermine national cohesion.

It urged the Presidency and the National Assembly to use existing digital laws or introduce targeted amendments to correct power imbalances, ensure fair remuneration for Nigerian news content, and protect innovation and competition.“

This is not a call for protectionism,” the organisation clarified.

“It is a call for strategic leadership to ensure Nigeria’s democratic conversation is not quietly outsourced to opaque commercial algorithms beyond national control.”

Warning that the cost of inaction would go beyond the media industry, the NPO said the consequences would include weakened institutions, declining public trust, and a more fragile national unity.

The organisation reaffirmed its willingness to work with government agencies, regulators, civil society, and technology companies to develop a fair and sustainable Nigerian solution.“

Protecting the Nigerian press is not an industry bailout,” the statement concluded.

“It is an investment in national stability, democratic resilience, and Nigeria’s standing as a constitutional democracy.