From mercy Peter
The Minister of Defence, H.E. Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has called for collective action in tackling disinformation, misinformation, and fake news targeted against Nigeria, stressing that safeguarding the nation’s image and sovereignty requires a united front.
The Minister made the remarks in Abuja shortly after receiving the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) Award of Excellence in Strategic Security Policy Formulation for National and Global Peace.
Abubakar was honoured alongside 18 distinguished Nigerians, including 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 NDLEA, Brig.
Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa; and Air Peace founder, Allen Onyema, among others. They were recognised for their contributions to peacebuilding, security, and diplomacy.
Commending DICAN for its initiative in organising an 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”, the Minister described the move as “highly patriotic.”
He emphasised the urgency of confronting disinformation, noting its adverse impact on Nigeria’s global image.
“A lot of fake news is out there distorting the image of our country and you (DICAN) are bent on correcting it. That is very good.
As Nigerians, we have no other country but Nigeria, and we must correct the bad image being pushed out there by people who are not patriotic,” Abubakar said.
While expressing gratitude to DICAN for the recognition, the Minister assured the association of his continued support in its mission to strengthen accurate and responsible reporting in Nigeria.
Earlier in his remarks, DICAN Chairman, Idehai Frederick, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to empowering diplomatic correspondents with the knowledge and skills needed to counter disinformation and foreign information manipulation, which he described as a threat to democracy and global peace.
He urged the government, diplomatic community, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders to support DICAN through capacity-building initiatives, resources, and tools.
Frederick further highlighted the uniqueness of DICAN’s effort, noting that it was the first journalists’ beat association globally to convene a Diplomatic/Security International Conference that brought together Nigeria’s diplomatic corps—led by the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E. Gautier Mignot—alongside security stakeholders, policymakers, civil society, and scholars.
With disinformation increasingly recognised as a major global challenge, both the Defence Minister and DICAN stressed the importance of synergy between government, media, and stakeholders to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty and foster national and global stability.
