The Federal Government has urged Nigerian journalists to prioritise national stability and patriotism by keeping the activities of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements off newspaper front pages.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja at a two-day National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the summit, held in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), is themed: Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building.
Idris said that while the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu remained committed to upholding press freedom, journalists must exercise responsibility to avoid glorising crime.
“Yes, we have to do our work, we have to report whatever happens, but you must know that the best reporter, the best editor, is the one who knows what not to report in the interest of nation-building.
“Please, take these terrorists and criminals off your front pages. This is what they crave, free of charge. It saddens my mind when I see our front pages, when I see our headlines, reporting the activities of these criminals and underplaying the ones by security agencies,” the Minister said.
He stressed that without a secure and peaceful country, the media would lack an enabling environment to operate, urging editors to highlight the sacrifices of security personnel rather than give prominence to insurgents.
“We must have a Nigeria to report first before we can even have a union or any other media organisation. Please, let’s have that at the back of our minds. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this nation survives,” he said.
Idris added that beyond military action, the Tinubu administration was deploying non-kinetic strategies to address the root causes of insecurity.
He also said that over 1.3 million Nigerian students had accessed higher education through the National Education Loan Fund, which aims to remove financial barriers to schooling.
The Minister further disclosed that the government was working to introduce improved welfare packages for media professionals to boost morale and economic well-being.
He commended the media and broadcast sector for their collaboration, noting that the launch of the digital switchover after 15 years demonstrated the impact of strategic partnership.
In his remarks, the NUJ National President, Mr. Alhassan Yahya, said the summit was designed to strengthen relations between journalists and security agencies in the interest of democracy and public good.
Yahya praised the leadership of the DSS, led by its Director General, Mr Adeola Ajayi, saying relations between the agency and the media had improved significantly.
“The Honorable Minister, it may interest you to know, in the last one and a half years, there has been no record of intimidation or harassment by state services in this country,” Yahya said.
“It is our hope and prayer that other security agencies will emulate the model adopted by NUJ and DSS to work as partners towards taking our country to a greater height.”
He also commended the digital switchover, describing it as an innovation that would enhance the media industry and strengthen national security.
Also speaking, the President and Chairman of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Dr. Ike Neliaku, described the media and security institutions as vital pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.
He announced that Nigeria had secured the hosting rights for the World Public Relations Forum in November 2026, noting that it would be the first time Sub-Saharan Africa would host the event.
Neliaku said the forum was expected to attract communication professionals from 126 countries.
Contributing, the President of the Nigeria Chapter of the International Press Institute, Mr. Musikilu Mojeed, said national security and press freedom should not be seen as opposing values.
“The conflict between security agencies and the media arises because our objectives are fundamentally different. More often, this conflict also results from inadequate communication, mistrust, and the failure to utilise existing mechanisms for resolving disagreements,” Mojeed said.
“Alternative downward self-regulatory processes, professional accountability mechanisms, and judicial channels address disputes more effectively than raids, arrests, detention, and intimidation.
“The task before democratic institutions is therefore not to eliminate tension, but to manage it responsibly. National security and press freedom are not opposing goals; they are mutually reinforcing pillars of democratic governance.”
He assured that the International Press Institute would continue to advocate for press freedom alongside national security.
The summit was attended by heads of security agencies, representatives of the Inspector General of Police, past NUJ presidents, and leaders of media and public relations organisations.
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