The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has urged the media to be conscious of national unity while providing timely and credible information to the public and ensure that such information does not compromise national security.
The COAS stated this at the opening of a 2-Day Training for Media Operatives in Nigeria, organised by the Army Headquarters Department of Civil-Military Affairs, held at the Army Resource Centre in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
General Oluyede stated that the Nigerian army is demonstrating its willingness to collective nation building by taking a proactive approach to media through building of trust and cooperation in the pursuit of national security.
Represented by the Director General, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre, Major General Gbemiga Adesina, the COAS said the army had strived to strike a strategic balance between protecting law-abiding citizens, national security, and the media’s right to disseminate information.
He said the training highlighted the significance of collaboration between the military and the media in addressing security challenges.
“As security situations evolve, public institutions like the media must also adapt to meet the challenges of our time. This training is timely, especially with the Nigerian Army deployed in various theatres of Operation
“Its objective is to facilitate a conducive working relationship between the military and the media. I believe it is essential for security agencies and the media to engage in forums like this, as both parties work towards the same purpose – a secure Nigeria where every individual is important.”
He therefore expressed optimism that the array of speakers lined up for the event will are capable of doing justice to the topic of discussion to better equip the participants to the course of advancing national security.
Mutual Understanding/Accuracy
For his part, the Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (CCMA), Major General Gold Chibuisi, has stated that it is crucial that the relationship between the military and the media is strengthened by building mutual understanding rooted in trust, accuracy, and balanced reporting.
According to General Gold Chibuisi, addressing the evolving national security challenges required a whole-of-society approach hence the training was part of the Nigerian army’s commitment to enhancing civil-military relations fostering an informed, professional, and secure information environment.
The Civil Military Affairs Chief stressed that the strategic collaboration aims to expose media professionals to the Army’s doctrines, operations, and communication strategies.
He said when accurate and constructive reporting is deployed, this can galvanise national support, enhance accountability, and contribute positively to collective security.
“A well-informed media is a strategic partner in our fight against security threats. This initiative bridges the knowledge gap between the security sector and media practitioners, promoting responsible reporting that supports national security interests.”
He therefore called on all the participants comprising of Media executives and defence corespondents to engage actively and attentively, inorder to understand the complex security issues around the country.
The Civil Military Affairs Chief expressed appreciation to the COAS for his strategic direction and support, expressing optimism that the engagement would strengthen the rapport between the army and the media.
The Director of News, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Hajiya Halima Musa, stressed the need to understand how to consolidate the responsibilities of the military and media while calling for access to timely and accurate information.
According to the media executive, the lack of accurate information gives room for speculation. She stressed that if good and timely information is granted to the media, accurate reportage will be encouraged towards achieving national security objectives.