Idris Urges Media To Embrace AI Without Compromising Ethics

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has urged media organisations to use artificial intelligence (AI) and new digital technology while protecting professional ethics, editorial independence and public trust.

Idris gave this advice on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of Media Trust Group’s combined newsroom. He described the project as an important investment in the future of journalism in Nigeria.

He congratulated the organisation’s board, management and staff on its growth from a newspaper publisher into a business that uses different types of media. He said bringing print, broadcast and digital platforms together showed how audience needs and expectations were changing.

“Technology is changing journalism in major ways, creating exciting opportunities through artificial intelligence, data journalism and multimedia storytelling.

“However, new technology must improve, not weaken, the professional judgement, ethical standards and human responsibility that make journalism trustworthy,” he said.

The minister repeated the Federal Government’s commitment under President Bola Tinubu to press freedom, constructive engagement and journalists’ right to examine and question public institutions.

He also stressed the need for media businesses to find lasting ways to earn money and remain financially stable, so they can support jobs, investment and national development.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, Idris urged media organisations to focus on accuracy, fairness and fact-checking, and to avoid sensational reporting and false information.

He warned that AI-created content, altered images and deepfakes were becoming a greater threat to public trust and the honesty of democratic processes.

“The credibility of our democratic process depends, to a large extent, on the reliability of the information available to citizens,” he said.

Idris urged Media Trust Group to make its combined newsroom a place for new ideas, excellent investigative journalism and responsible storytelling. He said journalism could inspire the public while remaining independent and continuing to play its important role in society.

“The belief that journalism must always be against those in power is a myth that needs to be abandoned,” he added.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, praised Media Trust Group for its business vision, professional work and contributions to national development through investment and job creation.

He urged the organisation to maintain its ethical standards and use its media platforms to encourage national unity.

“What you are doing should always aim at uniting this country,” Barau said.

Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi described the organisation’s use of artificial intelligence as a major achievement in technology. He noted that it was becoming harder to tell real content apart from fake images, videos and voices.

He called on media organisations to check information carefully and use new technology responsibly.

“I want to congratulate Media Trust, which is the first in West Africa to establish an AI newsroom,” Namadi said.

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, said the agency’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy supports the use of AI in different sectors, including the media.

He stressed that technology should support people’s abilities rather than replace them. He urged journalists to use AI tools to improve fact-checking and strengthen public trust.

“Today, in the era of AI, we want to see you using AI to verify everything,” he said.

Media executives, leaders of media organisations, senior government officials, industry representatives and other important guests attended the launch.