By Luminous Jannamike

The Abuja Newspapers Distributors Association (ANDA) has hailed the recent appointment of Alh. Mohammed Idris, publisher of Blueprint Newspaper, as Minister of Information and National Orientation.

Idris’ appointment was announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a move that ANDA views as a ‘well-deserved’ recognition of Idris’ significant contributions to the media industry.

The President of ANDA, Comr. Emmanuel Eche’Ofun John, expressed his delight at the appointment in a statement issued on Sunday.

“We are grateful to President Tinubu for recognizing the crucial role of Alh. Idris in our industry. His appointment is well-deserved and we are confident he is the right man for the job,” John stated.

John expressed optimism that Idris, a seasoned media entrepreneur, would bring about significant change to the print media sector.

According to him, this sector has been grappling with numerous challenges, including the advent of new media and some government policies such as the monetization policy.

In his message to the newly-appointed minister, John urged Idris to prioritize the cancellation of the monetization policy.

This policy, introduced by the Obasanjo government, has hampered the newspaper industry, according to John.

“The monetization policy has dealt a big blow to our industry. Funds intended for newspapers and magazines in government offices are diverted and used for other purposes. We need a change,” he said.

John further called upon Idris to collaborate with the Secretary to the Federal Government, Senator George Akume, and President Tinubu, who is also a publisher, in making the cancellation of the policy a reality.

He proposed making it mandatory for ministries, departments, and agencies to purchase newspapers and magazines daily for their top management staff.

“Such government patronage, provided for in the annual appropriation act, would greatly revive our industry and positively impact our members,” John added.

He expressed the belief that this move will provide a much-needed boost to the print media industry and ultimately benefit the members of ANDA