By Gloria Ikibah
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has called for collective action in tackling disinformation, misinformation, and fake news targeted at Nigeria, stressing that it is a national challenge requiring “all hands to be on deck.”
He made the remarks in Abuja after receiving the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) Award of Excellence on Strategic Security Policy Formulation for National and Global Peace.
Naijablitznews.com reports that the Minister was among a select group of distinguished Nigerians honoured for their roles in advancing peace and security. Other awardees included 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 of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd); and the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, among 14 others.
Commending DICAN for convening the international conference themed “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,” Abubakar described the effort as “highly patriotic” and a timely response to Nigeria’s evolving security and diplomatic realities.
“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 expressed gratitude to DICAN for its recognition, promising continued support for the association’s efforts.
“I thank you for the award and, God 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,” he added.
Earlier, DICAN Chairman, Comrade Idehai Frederick, reaffirmed the association’s resolve to make a difference as a specialised body of journalists committed to promoting accurate reporting. He said the group was focused on strengthening the capacity of its members to detect and respond to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), disinformation, and fake news, all of which he described as growing threats to democracy.
Frederick appealed to government institutions, the diplomatic community, civil society organisations, and stakeholders to support DICAN with capacity building, resources, and tools to help its members combat what he called the “cancerous monster of disinformation.”
He also noted that DICAN had broken new ground by becoming the first journalists’ beat association globally to host a Diplomatic and Security International Conference, which brought together Nigeria’s diplomatic community—led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E. Gautier Mignot—alongside 7 stakeholders, policy experts, civil society organisations, and academics.
