By Muhammad Aminu
A summit meant to unite journalists and strengthen ethical reporting has instead sparked uncomfortable questions about fairness, inclusion and respect for the journalism profession. While government officials urged the media to uphold professionalism and balanced reporting, many have asked why the recognised journalism bodies in the host state—Kano—were reportedly left out of the event. Can a conference truly champion media ethics while overlooking the very professionals it seeks to address? These are questions that deserve thoughtful reflection and clear answers.
The inaugural Arewa Media Summit in Kano carried a powerful message from the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urging journalists across Northern Nigeria to embrace ethical, balanced and responsible reporting. While that message is commendable, it raises an uncomfortable question: how can a summit dedicated to strengthening journalism overlook the very journalists of the state hosting the event?
Reports that the Kano State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), including its Chairman, Comrade Sulaiman Abdullahi Dederi, was not formally invited have generated serious concern. If true, it reflects a troubling contradiction. Kano, as the host state, has one of the most vibrant media communities in Northern Nigeria, yet its umbrella professional body was reportedly left out and jettisoned of a gathering meant to shape the future of journalism in the region.
The same concern extends to members of the Kano Online Media Chapel. In an era where digital journalism has become a dominant source of information, excluding online journalists from a summit focused on ethical reporting sends the wrong signal. It is difficult to advocate for responsible journalism while failing to accommodate a major segment of the profession whose voices influence millions of readers daily.
These developments inevitably raise questions about the role of the Presidency's media coordination allegedly under Abdulaziz Abdulaziz. What informed the decision-making process behind the invitations? Was the omission an administrative oversight or a deliberate exclusion? If the summit sought to unite journalists around a common vision, transparency over such decisions is essential. Stakeholders deserve clear answers so that confidence in the inclusiveness of future engagements is not undermined.
Journalists are not merely observers of governance—they are essential channels through which government policies, achievements and public concerns reach the people. Any programme designed to improve media ethics should, by its very nature, bring together the widest possible representation of the profession. Excluding established media institutions risks weakening the credibility and impact of the very conversations the summit intended to promote.
The Arewa Media Summit's call for ethical journalism loses much of its moral weight if the recognised voices of the host state's journalism community were not formally invited. Kano hosted the event, yet the Kano State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and members of the Kano Online Media Chapel were reportedly left out.
This raises a difficult but legitimate question: how can those expected to uphold professional standards be excluded from the very platform established to discuss those standards? Journalism thrives on inclusion, dialogue and institutional respect—not selective participation.
The reported decision of the Kano NUJ Chairman, Comrade Sulaiman Abdullahi Dederi, to stay away because he was not formally invited further highlights the importance of proper engagement with professional bodies. If these reports are accurate, the Presidency's media team owes the public and the journalism profession a clear explanation. A summit held in Kano should have reflected Kano's media strength. Ethical journalism begins with fairness, transparency and respect for journalists themselves. Anything less risks sending a message that contradicts the summit's stated objectives.
As conversations continue after the summit, many within the media community will hope that future national engagements reflect the values they seek to promote—fairness, inclusion and respect for all stakeholders. Kano deserved to see its journalists fully represented at an event hosted on its own soil. If ethical journalism is indeed the goal, then inclusiveness should be the foundation upon which that objective is built.
Aminu Bala Madobi, Writes from Kano.
