The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has stressed the need for development journalism in promoting National Security and Defence matters.
General Musa made the indication during a Roundtable Discussion on Nigeria’s Security and National Interest, organised for members of the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN) at the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja. explained that development journalism is crucial in enhancing military efforts, as it seeks to promote public awareness and understanding of defence and security issues.
Musa emphasized that National Security cannot and should not solely be reliant on the strength of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, but rather be strengthened by an educated, healthy, and socially cohesive population.
In his remark, the National Coordinator of NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, while promising the centre’s readiness to continue to collaborate with the media and other critical stakeholders to achieve and sustain the destruction of terrorists propaganda, he noted that journalists were pivotal in shaping public perception and policy on critical issues of National Security and interests, adding that journalists have the responsibility to report with accuracy, fairness and sensitivity in an environment that is often fraught with misinformation and heightened emotions.
On his part, the Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, who was represented by the Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba-Ndace, while commending the centre for organising the roundtable, he urged the media to maintain responsible reporting, considering National Security and National interest.
For DHQ, journalists should adopt a development journalism approach in their reporting, as Journalists are tasked to prioritise human Security, investigative reporting, and stakeholders’ engagement, as well as use available data to tell stories and promote evidence-based outcomes.
General Christopher Musa, CDS
Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, Coordinator, NCTC
Jibrin Baba-Ndace, DG VON, Rep. Minister Of Information
