Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for stronger collaboration between the Nigerian media and government, urging journalists to deploy their platforms to deepen democracy through constructive engagement and rigorous scrutiny of public ideas.
Shettima gave the advice in Abuja, yesterday, during the public presentation of My Life and Journalists Hangout and the 60th birthday of veteran broadcaster and Director of News at TVC News, Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, emphasised that the vitality of any society rests not merely on the abundance of ideas, but on the courage to interrogate them.
“A society is diminished not by lack of ideas, but by the absence of men and women willing to question those ideas, test them against reason, and ask the difficult questions that shield a people from the lure of easy answers,” the Vice President said.
He stressed that the strength of democracy lies beyond elections and institutions, noting that the character of the media is central to shaping responsible governance and informed citizenship.
“The measure of democracy is not confined to electoral rituals or institutional frameworks. It is equally defined by the sensibility and responsibility of the media, knowing when to probe, when to caution, when to enlighten, and when to refrain from amplifying confusion,” he added.
The vice president, while warning against the dangers of unchallenged narratives, noted that “everything deteriorates when left unquestioned, describing the media at its best as “a republic of conscience, not a theatre of noise.”
He, however, paid a glowing tribute to Kolade-Otitoju, describing him as a journalist who has consistently upheld intellectual rigour and resisted complacency in public discourse.
He also credited the celebrant’s popular programme, Journalists Hangout, with nurturing a tradition of critical engagement in Nigeria’s media space.
“At 60, we celebrate not just the passage of time, but the substance of a life devoted to thought, inquiry, and public reasoning. You have dignified your craft, elevated your platform, and contributed meaningfully to a culture of informed debate,” he said.
In his remark, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, commended the media for its patriotic role in promoting democratic values and national development.
Reviewer of the book, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, described the nine-chapter work as a compelling account of Kolade-Otitoju’s professional journey across print and broadcast journalism, highlighting its depth, insight, and relevance to both practitioners and policymakers.
Earlier, the former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Danladi Bako, praised the celebrant as a courageous and principled professional, and commended the Vice President for honouring the journalism profession by attending the event.
