By Chinedu Adonu
ENUGU — Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Mbah, has challenged Nigerian journalists to deepen investigative journalism and establish facts in the face of growing artificial intelligence-generated misinformation capable of making falsehoods appear real.
Mbah spoke on Thursday at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference, ANEC 2026, in Enugu, where he said the press and government might have different responsibilities but must ultimately serve the interests of Nigerians.
The governor, who joked that the gathering offered a temporary “ceasefire” between government and the media, said government must be transparent and accountable, while the press must establish facts and report the truth.
“Government must be transparent about what it is doing and be accountable for the results. The press must establish the facts and report the truth,” he said.
Mbah urged journalists not to allow investigative journalism to become a lost art, saying newsrooms must distinguish between information that merely attracts attention and issues the public genuinely needs to know.
According to him, “rigorous journalism is not about finding evidence to support a position already taken, nor should it become another arena for political grandstanding.”
He said the standard of independent scrutiny must apply equally to government and its critics, urging journalists to examine evidence, test competing claims and establish what actually happened.
“Examine the evidence, test competing claims, establish what happened, and test what you find,” he said.
On artificial intelligence, Mbah said technology had made it possible for falsehoods to be produced with “the texture of reality” at unprecedented speed and scale.
He noted that photographs could be fabricated, voices cloned and allegations circulated globally before journalists had an opportunity to verify them.
“That makes serious journalism more necessary, not less,” the governor said, challenging editors and reporters to “go deeper.”
He said journalists required adequate time and resources to investigate complex issues, while editors should protect investigative work and ensure that evidence, context and verification remained central to journalism.
Mbah also highlighted some of his administration’s development programmes, saying the government was working to transform Enugu into an economic gateway for the South-East and improve the state’s standing in gross domestic product, human development and quality of life.
He listed more than 1,500 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed, over 7,000 classrooms delivered, Smart Green Schools and Type-2 primary healthcare centres across the 260 electoral wards, restoration of water supply in Enugu metropolis, new transport terminals, CNG buses and the revival of dormant industries.
The governor also cited the operations of Enugu Air and the development of Enugu Smart City as part of the administration’s transformation agenda.
He said the state had enjoyed collaboration with President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the Federal Government, particularly through increased support to states and interventions in roads, aviation, energy and regional development.
Mbah said the concessioning of Akanu Ibiam International Airport would further strengthen Enugu’s position as a gateway to the South-East.
He, however, acknowledged that more work remained to be done, urging the visiting editors to move beyond official claims and independently assess developments across the state.
“Take some time to explore the city, speak to the people who live and work here, and get a sense of the direction in which Enugu is moving,” he told the editors.
“Our responsibility is to be transparent and deliver radical and positive change. Yours is to be independent: look closely, establish the facts, and tell the story as you find it.
“And the point at which those responsibilities meet should be the truth.”
Mbah welcomed the Nigerian Guild of Editors to Enugu for the second time in two years, describing the city as a historic centre of enterprise, culture and civic leadership.
He urged the editors to experience the state beyond the conference venue and assess developments across Enugu.
“Do what good journalism has always done: look closely, establish the facts, and tell the story as you find it — because in Enugu, tomorrow is here,” Mbah said.
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