Foreign Affairs Minister tasks journalists on fostering diplomacy, national security

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar has underscored the need for media practitioners to adopt strategic and proactive measures in fostering diplomacy and national security.

Tuggar disclosed this in his keynote address at the maiden edition of the Diplomatic/Security International Conference 2025, organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Tuggar, represented by Mr Alkassim Abdulkadir, the Special Assistant on Media and Strategy to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The event with the theme; “Advancing diplomacy, leveraging intelligence and engaging media for global stability” explained Nigeria’s Democratic, Development, Demography and Diaspora (4-Ds) foreign policy strategy amidst global insecurity, misperception and disinformation.

Tuggar said, “Nigeria remains committed to supporting all meaningful initiatives that seeks to combat disinformation and enhance the integrity of the information space.

“The Ministry also recognises the crucial role of the media in shaping perceptions and advancing the country’s diplomatic objectives.

“A deliberate investment in strategic communication by media will not only strengthen Nigeria’s image internationally but also foster trust among citizens, development partners, and the diplomatic community.”

For his part, Rear-Admiral I.M. Haruna, who represented the Chief of Defence Staff, urged media practitioners to employ measures in tackling false information.

According to him, there is need for cooperation between the media practitioners and diplomats in addressing global security challenges.

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), represented by Mr Abdulrahman Balogun, Director of Public Affairs and Protocol, urged Journalists to adhere to professional ethics in countering disinformation.

She stressed the need for close working relations between the media practitioners and NIDCOM in raising the awareness for Nigerians abroad to get accurate information about the country.

“Our National Diaspora Policy is accessible on our website. Yet, we still get complaints from Nigerians in the UK about school fees, which is beyond NIDCOM’s mandate,” she said.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Kabiru Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector General of Police, drummed the need for journalists to sustain ethical standards in their operations.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of DICAN, Mr Idehai Frederick, urged diplomats and security stakeholders in Nigeria to strengthen strategic engagement with media practitioners in shaping public understanding about foreign policies.

This, according to him, will further strengthen cooperation between the diplomatic community and the media practitioners, in terms of tackling disinformation and misinformation threatening national security.

The event attracted crème d’la crème, across various works of life (Crème de la crème) is a French phrase that means “cream of the cream.