The Humanitarian Times

By Abdulkareem Haruna

ABUJA – The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Thursday, June 18, convened a landmark National Security Summit in Abuja, bringing together top government officials, security chiefs, and media stakeholders to define a new, structured framework for collaboration in addressing Nigeria’s multifaceted security challenges.

The summit, themed “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, with over 200 participants, served as a platform for the media to push for improved institutional engagement, while the Federal Government reiterated the need for ethical boundaries in reporting sensitive national threats.

In his welcome address, the National President of the NUJ, Comrade Alhassan Yahya, emphasized that the summit was a deliberate move by the union to transition from historical friction to a more constructive relationship with state institutions. He argued that national security is a collective responsibility that requires the media to serve as an “impact multiplier” for state efforts.

“The media and security institutions occupy strategic positions in every democratic society,” Comrade Yahya said.

“When effectively coordinated, they become powerful instruments for promoting peace, stability, and national unity.”

​The NUJ leader  noted that the initiative was the fulfillment of his November 2024 campaign commitment to create professional platforms that strengthen engagement with institutions whose work directly impacts national development. He specifically commended the leadership of the Department of State Services (DSS) for their openness to dialogue, describing the agency’s participation as a vital step toward building the mutual trust necessary to combat threats such as terrorism, banditry, and cybercrime.

Government’s Renewed Focus

In his remarks as Chairman of the occasion, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, signaled government support for the NUJ’s initiative. He framed the discussion within the broader context of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s

“Renewed Hope Agenda,” asserting that economic growth and infrastructure development depend on a stable security environment.

Mr. Idris highlighted recent operational successes, including the degradation of terrorist capabilities in the North-East and intensified interventions against kidnapping and banditry in the North-West and North-Central regions.

​However, the Minister issued a firm reminder regarding the responsibilities of the press. He cautioned that while the administration recognizes the public’s right to know, the media must exercise extreme care in an era where digital disinformation can threaten national cohesion.

“National security is not served when misinformation is amplified without verification,” the Minister said. 

“The challenge before us is to strike the right balance between the public’s right to know and the imperative of protecting national security.” 

While calling for collective patriotism,the minister had also directly cautioned the media to slow down on giving the terrorists and bandits undue publicity as doing so gives them the oxygen to thrive. 

“The best editor or reporter is the one who lay down a reporter for the sake of national security interest. Please take the terrorists off your front pages,” the minister urged. 

A Framework for Collaboration

​The two-day summit, which concludes on June 19, aims to produce actionable recommendations on how security agencies can provide more timely and credible information to journalists, thereby reducing reliance on speculative reports that often fuel public anxiety.

​Key stakeholders, including academics, security experts, and media executives, are engaged in interactive dialogues to identify practical pathways for collaboration. The focus remains on how investigative journalism can support national objectives without compromising sensitive operational intelligence.

In their respective solidarity messages, key invitees from the International press institute, the DSS, NAWOJ, NIPR commended the NUJ for putting the summit together even as they made several calls for professionalism and synergised relations with the security outfits to advance better security for Nigerians. 

Highlight of the day one event was a paper presentation on The Media as Impact Multiplier in Military Operations and National Development by Professor Okey Okechukwu, an Executive Director at SPECS Academy. The paper later snowballed into a panel discussion that was officiated by the former president of NUJ, Chief Chris Isiguzor.