Cephas Iorhemen 
The Nigeria Army on Thursday advocated for stronger collaboration with the media to curb the worsening insecurity situation ravaging the nation.
The Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, stated this in a keynote address delivered at the Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation Media Chat for the Third Quarter of 2024 held in Makurdi, the Benue State capital with the theme: “The Media and the Military: Allies in Pursuit of National Security”.
General Lagbaja who was represented by Major General Hillary Nzan, acknowledged the role of the media in promoting national unity and ensuring that the public is well-informed and educated about the government’s and its agencies’ activities, including the Nigerian Army, and the responsibilities of good citizenship, stressed the need for greater collaboration between the media and the army in pursuit in national security.
“The partnership between the army and the media is essential for achieving national security goals and is critical for maintaining peace, harmony, and the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
“As the Nigerian Army enhances its efforts toward national security objectives, recognizing the media’s pivotal role in shaping public opinion, informing the populace, and fostering unity of purpose cannot be overemphasized.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to protecting law-abiding citizens and their civil liberties. At the same time, the media serves as a crucial link between the military and the public, ensuring accountability and fostering mutual trust.
“We must establish regular communication channels to facilitate transparent reporting on military operations and timely dissemination of information, countering disinformation and misinformation while building public confidence”.
He stated that the Nigerian Army has intensified operations across various regions with tailored strategies to address the unique security threats in each region, stressing that significant successes especially in the neutralization of several terrorists and their leaders, the rescue of some abducted Nigerians and the restoration of socio-economic activities in affected communities, leading to the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes had been recorded.
According to him, the such efforts have also boosted crude oil production while enhancing food security through special patrols and escort duties that enable farmers to cultivate their crops.
Lt. General Lagbaja said the Nigeria Army has activated it’s emergency response capabilities in response to recent human-made and natural disasters in parts of the country, leveraging on its unique competencies, as demonstrated in the recent flood incident in Maiduguri.
In a welcome address, the Chief of Civil Military Affairs (CCMA), Major General Nosahkare Ugbo, noted that the Nigeria Army collaboration and cooperation with the media is crucial for enhanced civil-military cooperation towards advancing a collective security.
Major Ugbo posited that conduct of the Nigerian Army’s non-kinetic line of operations is geared towards securing the support and cooperation of the civil populace, stressing that the people’s support and cooperation are crucial to its operational effectiveness and successes.
The Media Chat, Major Ugbo said has provided an opportunity for the Nigeria Army to strengthen its engagement with the media, boost public awareness, and build a culture of trust and cooperation essential for its collective security and prosperity.
In a remark, the founding Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the THISDAY Media Group and ARISE News Channel, Chief Nduka Obaigbena, urged the federal government to dedicate at least 25 percent of the national budget for the military to motivate and encourage them in the task of providing national security.
Chief Obaigbena who frowned at the activities of people in power against the media, called for adequate support for practicing journalists as according to him, “the media is your friend, the media is there to protect everybody, for those who find themselves in power and think they kill the media, when they leave power they will need the media”.
