By Shu’aibu Usman Leman
Bauchi, Nigeria, April 16, 2026(Series News Online)- Former National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Shu’aibu Usman Leman, has responded to criticism of Nigeria’s media institutions, arguing that the NUJ and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, face a complex dual mandate that demands both defence of press freedom and internal reform.
His intervention follows “NGE and NUJ Chasing Shadows,” an opinion piece by Jide Oluwajuyitan published in -The Nation - on April 14, 2026. The article accused the two bodies of focusing on symbolic gestures in public disputes rather than confronting structural crises within journalism.
“The piece raises important questions about relevance, focus, and effectiveness at a time when public confidence in media institutions remains uneven and often contested,” Leman wrote.
He said the critique reflects wider public sentiment about the direction of journalism. “The gap between institutional self-perception and public expectation has widened in recent years, making introspection unavoidable if the profession is to maintain legitimacy,” he stated.
Leman acknowledged that Nigerian journalism is under strain. “Issues such as declining newsroom resources, inconsistent editorial supervision, and the persistence of unethical financial inducements continue to undermine the credibility of media practice,” he said.
He listed further challenges eroding trust. “The persistence of ‘brown envelope’ practices, the weakening of investigative depth, and the growing tendency to blur reportage with commentary all contribute to a gradual erosion of public trust in journalism as a credible institution,” he noted.
However, he cautioned against dismissing the NUJ and NGE as merely symbolic. “The conclusion that the NUJ and NGE are simply ‘chasing shadows’ risks flattening a much more complex institutional reality,” Leman argued.
He said the bodies operate under competing pressures. “These bodies are operating within a constrained environment where external political pressures and internal professional weaknesses intersect, often simultaneously, leaving little room for linear or purely ideal responses,” he explained.
According to him, the organisations carry a dual mandate that is difficult to balance. “On one hand, they are expected to defend press freedom and protect journalists from intimidation or undue interference. On the other hand, they are required to address internal professional decay through discipline, regulation, and continuous ethical reinforcement. These responsibilities often pull in different directions,” he said.
Leman said actions that appear reactive are often attempts to preserve equilibrium. “In practice, however, such interventions are often attempts to preserve institutional equilibrium in a media ecosystem that is increasingly fragile, politically sensitive, and vulnerable to rapid escalation of tensions,” he stated.
He cited the recent controversy involving FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye as a case study. “Critics of the NUJ and NGE argue that their response to such incidents reflects excessive sensitivity to rhetorical or ‘figurative’ political expressions that should otherwise be treated as inconsequential,” he said.
Yet, he warned, rhetoric can have real consequences. “In a political environment such as Nigeria’s, the boundary between rhetoric and institutional consequence is not always clearly defined. Statements made by powerful public officials, even when later clarified or reinterpreted, can carry significant weight in shaping perceptions, expectations, and behaviour within state structures and beyond,” he said.
Such remarks, he added, can produce a chilling effect. “This is especially relevant in environments where institutional checks and balances are still evolving and where power asymmetries remain pronounced,” he noted.
He described professional bodies’ responses as protective rather than partisan. “It is within this context that professional bodies often intervene, not necessarily to escalate conflict, but to reaffirm boundaries that are essential for the survival of press freedom,” Leman said.
He also addressed claims of partisanship in the media. “While there are indeed instances where individual practitioners or outlets fall short of expected neutrality, it is problematic to extend such cases into a sweeping generalisation about the entire profession,” he stated.
Leman defended journalism’s engagement with politics and governance. “Journalism, by its very nature, operates at the intersection of politics, economics, security, and governance, because these are the primary domains in which public accountability is exercised. Engagement with these areas does not automatically translate into partisanship; rather, it reflects the essential function of journalism in democratic societies,” he said.
He defined the journalist’s role as interrogative, not authoritative. “The role of the journalist is not to replace subject-matter experts or present themselves as authorities in every field, but to interrogate claims made by those in authority, contextualise complex developments, and translate technical or political issues into accessible public knowledge. This interpretive function is central to democratic discourse,” he explained.
Credibility, he said, is lost through verification failures, not broad engagement. “Where credibility is weakened is not in this broad engagement with public affairs, but in failures of verification, insufficient editorial oversight, and occasional lapses where opinion is presented as fact. These are professional shortcomings that require correction, but they do not invalidate the foundational role of journalism itself,” he stated.
On crisis reporting, he referenced the EndSARS protests. “Media performance must also be assessed within the constraints of operating under uncertainty, limited official transparency, and rapidly evolving digital narratives. These conditions create an environment where misinformation can spread faster than verification processes can reasonably respond,” he said.
“During such periods, even experienced journalists are often required to make real-time editorial decisions without complete information, while simultaneously navigating emotionally charged public reactions and competing versions of events. While this does not excuse inaccuracies, it underscores the operational difficulties inherent in crisis reporting,” he added.
He outlined the remit of professional bodies. “The responsibility of professional bodies like the NUJ and NGE therefore extends beyond defence or criticism alone. They are required to simultaneously uphold press freedom, enforce ethical discipline, support professional development, and advocate for improved welfare conditions that directly affect journalistic independence and performance,” he said.
Leman concluded that the future of journalism hinges on internal reform and external protection. “The long-term future of journalism in Nigeria will ultimately depend not on rhetorical dismissals of its institutions, but on their capacity to evolve, self-correct, and strengthen internal accountability while protecting external freedom,” he said.
“The real task is not to choose between shadows and substance, but to ensure that both freedom and responsibility are sustained in a workable balance,” he stated.
Leman is a former National Secretary, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
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