The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has dismissed reports suggesting that the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing Sessions have been moved from Abuja to London.
Addressing the media at the eighth edition of the briefing held at the National Press Centre in Abuja, Idris emphasized that the platform remains firmly rooted in Nigeria. The session featured fellow cabinet members including Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof. Joseph Utsev, and Minister of Works Senator David Umahi.
“This is your answer to the insinuation that the press briefing session is relocating abroad,” Idris said. “We have our responsibility first to the Nigerian nation… the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation continues to host these sessions right here in Abuja.”
Backing Idris’ position, Senator Umahi also refuted claims of his involvement in any press event scheduled for London, labelling the report as baseless.
Economy Showing Signs of Improvement Idris used the platform to highlight recent economic progress, citing the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report on inflation for April 2025.
According to the Minister, Headline inflation dropped to 23.71% in April, down from 24.23% in March. Month-on-month inflation also declined significantly from 3.90% in March to 1.86% in April.
He attributed this progress to targeted interventions by President Tinubu’s administration, particularly in food supply and price stabilization.
“The food inflation rate one of the key pressures on Nigerian households—eased to 21.26% year-on-year, and slowed month-on-month to 2.06%, down from 2.18% in March,” Idris stated, citing price drops in essentials like maize flour, rice, yam flour, okra, wheat grain, soya beans, and beans.
Government Commitment and Outlook, While acknowledging that challenges remain, Idris emphasized that the government is on the right path, committed to policies that improve economic stability, purchasing power, and citizen welfare.
“We are not yet where we desire to be. But these latest figures give us every reason to be hopeful. The hard decisions are beginning to bear fruit,” he said.
He concluded by urging the media to responsibly amplify these positive developments and reiterated the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.