The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has advocated the adoption of development journalism as a sustainable practice to defeat terrorist propaganda and threats in the country.
The CDS reiterated that the military's actions in ensuring Nigeria's national security account for only 30 per cent of the overall efforts required, while the remaining 70 per cent for maintaining Nigeria's peace and security rests on the socio-economic elements of the country.
He said national security was too sensitive to rely solely on military strength and should be strengthened by Nigeria's educated, healthy, and socially cohesive population, underpinned by development journalism.
Musa said, "In defence beats, development journalism seeks to promote public awareness and understanding of defence and security issues while holding governments, the defence sector, and other stakeholders accountable for their actions and informing decision-making by policymakers and defence officials.
"Adopting a development journalism approach allows for more active collaboration with journalists and media organisations, enabling them to play a more effective role in promoting national cohesion and stability, thereby advancing Nigeria's national interest.
General Musa spoke at a one-day round table discussion on National Security for Defence Correspondents on Thursday, organised by the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), with the theme "National Security and National Interest: A Development Journalism Approach for the Defence Beat."
He said, "Our national security cannot and should not solely rely on the strength of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Instead, it should be strengthened by Nigeria's educated, healthy and socially cohesive population underpinned by development journalism.
He continued, "The development journalism approach will not only require collaboration and dialogue among stakeholders, it will also focus on people centrism in the accomplishment of Nigeria's national interest."
He said the approach resonates with his leadership concept: "to Nurture a Professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is People-Centric, Capable of Meeting its Constitutional Responsibilities in a Joint and Collaborative Environment."
"In the future, we must continue to frame the defence beat through a development journalism lens. Various options are available, including the continuous prioritisation of human security, adoption of investigative reporting on policy impact and real-world implications, and promotion of dialogue, inclusivity, and stakeholders' engagement through available fora.
"We will also need to advocate for sustainable practices through reporting on innovative practices in defence and using available data to tell the stories as evidence-based outcomes allow for a more informed public discourse.
These options will engender trust and cooperation between the military, civil society, and other stakeholders and enhance contextual understanding of local dynamics," he said, "for improved social cohesion and effective collaboration."
The National Coordinator, NCTC, Maj Gen Adamu Laka, said journalists, especially those who signed defence and security beats, play pivotal roles in shaping public perception and policy on critical national security and interests issues.
He said Journalists inform members of the public through reporting, analysis, and storytelling and have the power to influence strategies, people's actions, and reactions.
"Having been in this military career for a while, I must attest that our defence and security correspondents have been an immense wealth of expertise and experience. Most of you have reported on the frontlines, analysed trends and followed the intricate network that sustained these threats to our national security and interests.
"You have confronted not just the facts but also the responsibility to report with accuracy, fairness and sensitivity in an environment often fraught with misinformation and heightened emotions".
He assured that the Center would continue to collaborate with the media and other critical stakeholders to achieve and sustain the destruction of terrorist propaganda.
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The Special Assistant to the President on Public Communication and Orientation Sunday Dare, represented by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Tope Ajayi, called on journalists to prioritise national interest over duty.
He said journalism was a documentation of history, hence the need to consider stories' impact before publishing them.
"You must love the place you are in, your country, and your country will thrive. We're not getting it right if you put anything ahead of our country. Most times, we look at money, and so we downgrade our country.... if your country goes down, you're also going down with it. And without a stable country, you can't even be there to practice. But if that's one key area that we need to look at, that we must love our country, it's only when you love your country you can protect it," he said.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, represented by the DG of VON, Jibrin Baba-Ndace, said the war against insurgency cannot be won by the gun's nozzle but by winning the people's hearts.
