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Defence Chief Advocates Development Journalism for National Security Enhancement

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The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has called for the adoption of development journalism to bolster Nigeria’s national security efforts. He made this appeal at a roundtable discussion titled “National Security and National Interest: A Development Journalism Approach for the Defence Beat,” organized by the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in Abuja on Thursday.

Speaking to members of the Defence Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DECAN), Musa emphasized that development journalism can enhance public awareness of security issues while fostering accountability among governments, defence institutions, and stakeholders.

“National security cannot and should not solely rely on the strength of the Armed Forces. It should be strengthened by Nigeria’s educated, healthy, and socially cohesive population underpinned by development journalism,” he said.

Musa added that this approach encourages collaboration between media organizations and the military, enabling journalists to play a more significant role in promoting national cohesion and stability. He explained that development journalism focuses on human-centric reporting, investigative analyses of policy impacts, and fostering dialogue among stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s national interest.

“This resonates with my leadership concept: *‘To nurture a professional Armed Forces of Nigeria that is people-centric and capable of meeting its constitutional responsibilities in a joint and collaborative environment,’” he stated.

The CDS outlined strategies for embedding development journalism in defence reporting, including prioritizing human security, promoting sustainable practices, and leveraging data-driven storytelling to support informed public discourse.

“By adopting these options, we can build trust and cooperation between the military, civil society, and other stakeholders, ultimately enhancing social cohesion and collaboration,” Musa added.

The National Coordinator of the NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, also highlighted the critical role of journalists in shaping public perception on security issues. He urged the media to report with accuracy, fairness, and sensitivity while countering misinformation and terrorist propaganda.

“We are committed to collaborating with the media and other stakeholders to sustain the destruction of terrorist propaganda,” Laka said.

The Minister of Information, Muhammed Idris, represented by the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Baba-Ndace, commended the initiative. He urged continued engagement between the military and the media to counter terrorists’ narratives effectively.

In his lecture, retired Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, a former Defence Spokesman, called for fact-checking in counter-terrorism reporting to prevent the spread of misinformation that could undermine security operations.

“Defence reporting should align with the broader goal of safeguarding national unity and security,” Olukolade advised.

The event concluded with a commitment to fostering stronger media-military collaboration in addressing national security challenges.

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