The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has assured of the 10th Assembly’s commitment to partnering with the Media Trust Group to enhance effective coverage of parliamentary activities.
Abbas gave the assurance on Thursday during a courtesy visit by the management team of the Media Trust Group—publishers of the Daily Trust, Weekend Trust, Aminiya, and operators of Trust TV, Trust Radio, and Trust Digital—at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.
Among the MTG delegation were the Group Chief Executive Officer/Editor-in-Chief (Print), Ahmed I. Shekarau; Chief Operating Officer of Trust TV, Ibrahim Shehu; and General Editor of Daily Trust, Stella Iyaji, along with other senior members of staff from the media conglomerate.
In his remarks, Speaker Abbas expressed his pleasure at welcoming the delegation, describing Daily Trust as one of the most respected newspapers in the country, and acknowledging the unique contributions of the company to the Nigerian media landscape.
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While responding to the Group’s GCEO’s proposal for a dedicated weekly programme on parliamentary activities on Trust TV, Speaker Abbas expressed strong support for the initiative.
“We welcome this initiative wholeheartedly,” he said, adding that the House would fully cooperate with the media group to enhance public understanding of legislative work.
He also accepted the MTG’s invitation to its upcoming annual event and promised to actively participate in the programme, underscoring the importance of building mutual trust and collaboration between the National Assembly and the media.
He assured the media team of the Assembly’s readiness to offer first-hand information to facilitate accurate reporting.
He commended the publication for its 26 years of objective journalism, emphasising that Daily Trust has remained a reliable platform for amplifying the voices of northern communities, the nation in general as well as providing feedback to governments.
The Speaker urged media outlets to prioritise professionalism over short-term gains, emphasising that objective coverage plays a crucial role in uniting rather than dividing the country.
Earlier in his remarks, the Group CEO of Media Trust, Shekarau, extended congratulations to the speaker on his recent conferment of the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) by President Tinubu.
He said the visit was on the need for collaboration between Media Trust and the House of Representatives, proposing a 30-minute weekly programme on the Trust TV to amplify the activities of the National Assembly.
He used the visit to also invite the Speaker to serve as the special guest of honour at the 22nd edition of the Daily Trust Dialogue, coming up in January 2025.
The GCEO also used the occasion to highlight some of the significant progress the MTG has made from its humble beginning as a weekly newspaper to where it is today as one of the media conglomerates in the country.
Also, the COO of Trust TV spoke on the progress the television channel has made in just about three years of its existence, adding that some awards have been won while its viewership across platforms has hit over 35 million.