The Directorate of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Protection in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has sought collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to combat misinformation, promote responsible journalism and strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure.
The Directorate made the appeal during a familiarisation visit to the NUJ National Secretariat, where both parties discussed the role of journalists in promoting national security and ensuring the dissemination of accurate and verified information.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the Directorate and the media in raising public awareness on critical national assets, infrastructure protection and security-related issues.
Leading the delegation, the Director, Air Vice Marshal Effiom, expressed concern over the spread of misleading information, particularly reports involving telecommunication companies and other critical service providers.
He noted that inaccurate or unsubstantiated reports could mislead the public, create unnecessary concerns and undermine confidence in essential service providers and national institutions.
Effiom urged journalists to uphold the ethics of the profession by ensuring that information is thoroughly investigated and verified before publication or broadcast.
He also called for the development of NUJ-led guidelines to guide media coverage of telecommunication companies and other critical service providers, stressing the need for responsible reporting on issues that could affect national security.
According to him, collaboration between the media and the Directorate would help promote accurate reporting while strengthening public understanding of the importance of protecting the country’s critical infrastructure.
Responding, the NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya, appreciated the delegation for recognising the Union as a strategic partner in advancing national security and protecting the public interest.
Yahya assured the Directorate of the Union’s willingness to collaborate on initiatives aimed at promoting responsible journalism and strengthening public awareness on critical national issues.
He emphasised that ethical journalism remains essential to national development, public enlightenment and the promotion of the country’s collective interests.
The NUJ president further reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to supporting programmes that would strengthen professional standards and positioned journalists as agents of positive change in the media industry and the country at large.
Also speaking, the NUJ National Secretary, Mr Achike Chude, stressed the need for a clear framework to guide the proposed partnership between the Union and the Directorate.
Chude explained that structured engagement between both organisations would provide a foundation for effective cooperation and ensure that the responsibilities of each party were clearly defined.
He also advocated capacity-building programmes to equip journalists with the necessary knowledge and skills to report effectively on critical national assets, infrastructure protection and related security matters.
The NUJ National Secretary noted that such training would improve journalists’ understanding of infrastructure-related issues and enhance their ability to provide accurate, balanced and responsible reports to the public.
The visit provided an opportunity for both parties to explore areas of mutual cooperation, with a shared commitment to promoting accurate, ethical and responsible journalism in support of national security and the public interest.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen engagement between the media and the Directorate, particularly in promoting information verification, professional reporting standards and public awareness of the need to protect critical national infrastructure.
