The Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar said the fight against disinformation, misinformation and fake news targeted against Nigeria is one that requires all hands to be on deck.
He disclosed this in Abuja shortly after receiving the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, DICAN award of excellence on strategic security policy formulation for national and global peace.
The Minister was one among few distinguished Nigerians including former President Goodluck Jonathan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Chairman NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, Founder Air Peace, Allen Onyema, among 14 others recognised for their strategic support to national and global peace efforts.
H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar who applauded DICAN for taking the initiative to organised an event with the theme “Nigeria’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Strategy Amidst Global Security Challenges, Strategic Misperceptions, and the Age of Disinformation: The Role of Diplomacy, Intelligence, and Media in Shaping National and Global Stability” described the move by DICAN to support government’s effort in repositioning the largest African nation in the global map as “highly patriotic.”
He noted that the international conference was a timely response to the growing need for informed, cross-sectoral collaboration in safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereignty and global interests.
“A lot of fake news is out there distorting the image of our country
and you (DICAN)are bent on correcting, that is very good.
“As Nigerians we have no other country but Nigeria and we have to really correct the bad image that
has been really pushed out there by people who are not patriotic,” he said.
The Minister appreciated the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria for its forward-thinking programmes as well as the award on strategic security policy formulation for national and global conferred on him.
“I thank you for the award and God’s willing we’ll continue to support you to continue to do the good work you are doing.
“Once again thank you very much for this visit and for all you have been doing for our dear country,” the Minister concluded.
Earlier, DICAN Chairman, Idehai Frederick said the association is bent on making a difference as a specialised group of journalists by enhancing the capacity of its members to be able to identify Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) which is a threat to democracy, Disinformation, fake news among others for the seek of accurate and well informed reporting.
He however, called on government at all levels, the diplomatic community, civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders to support the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) through capacity building, resources and tools to actualise its vision of equipping its members with the requisite knowledge and skills to identify and tackle the endemic cancerous monster of disinformation for the overall good of Nigeria, Africa and the World.
He noted that Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN), was the first journalists beat association’s globally to put together a Diplomatic/Security International Conference that brought together Nigeria’s diplomatic community led by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS H.E. Gautier Mignot, security stakeholders, policy experts, civil society organisations and scholars.