The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has called for stronger collaboration between the media and security agencies as a critical requirement for safeguarding national security, promoting public trust, and advancing Nigeria’s nation-building efforts.
Mr Idris disclosed this while speaking at the National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister described the relationship between the media and security institutions as essential to maintaining peace, unity, and national development.
Speaking on the theme, “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” Mr Idris said both institutions occupy strategic positions in the architecture of national development and share a common responsibility of protecting the national interest.
“While security agencies are entrusted with protecting lives, property, and national sovereignty, the media serves as the watchdog of society, the marketplace of ideas, and the bridge between government and citizens. Both institutions share a common objective: safeguarding the national interest and promoting peace, unity, and development,” he said.
He stressed that effective collaboration built on mutual respect, professionalism, trust, and understanding of complementary roles would strengthen national security and enhance public confidence in government institutions.
He noted that Nigeria, like many countries around the world, faces increasingly complex security challenges, including terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, organised crime, misinformation, separatist agitations, and other emerging threats that require collective action and strategic responses.
According to him, the administration of President Bola Tinubu has continued to prioritise security as a key pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda through a comprehensive strategy that combines military operations, intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, technological innovation, and community engagement.
“Recognising that no meaningful development can occur without peace and stability, the administration has pursued a comprehensive security strategy that combines military action, intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, technological innovation, and community engagement,” he stated.
He also noted that sustained military offensives have continued to degrade the operational capabilities of terrorist groups in the North-East, while intensified operations against banditry and kidnapping in the North-West and North-Central have yielded positive outcomes.
He said the federal government has invested substantially in modern military equipment, intelligence infrastructure, surveillance technologies, and capacity building for security personnel to improve operational effectiveness and strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to evolving threats.
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Speaking on the role of the media, Mr Idris emphasised that responsible journalism has become more important than ever in an era where misinformation, fake news, and disinformation spread rapidly across digital platforms.
“National security is not served when misinformation is amplified without verification. Neither is it served when legitimate public concerns are ignored. The challenge before us is to strike the right balance between the public’s right to know and the imperative of protecting national security.”
He urged journalists to continue upholding the highest standards of professionalism, accuracy, fairness, and ethical reporting, while encouraging security agencies to deepen engagement with the media through timely, credible, and transparent communication.
The minister assured stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation remains committed to promoting constructive engagement between the media and security institutions through dialogue, capacity building, strategic communication, and public enlightenment initiatives.
He commended the NUJ and the DSS for organising the summit and expressed confidence that its deliberations would generate practical recommendations capable of strengthening collaboration between the media and security agencies in support of Nigeria’s national security objectives.
