Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very much interested in the security situation in Nigeria and is not taking it lightly.
He called for regional and collective efforts to address the insecurity in West Africa’s Sahel region, observing that the security situation in the Sahel region has significant implications for Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
Media aide to the vice president, Stanley Nkwocha, in a statement, quoted Shettima to have stated this while speaking on Monday during an audience with the leadership of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the Presidential Villa.
The Vice President, according to the statement, emphasised the importance of collaborative action and called for wider support for NAN’s upcoming international lecture on Sahel security.
He stated: “The international lecture NAN is organising is very timely, especially on the issue of insecurity in the Sahel. The security situation in the nation is something that the President is very much interested in and is not taking it lightly.”
The Vice President expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the conference, saying, “I believe that with the calibre of people that will grace the lecture, you will come up with a lot of perspectives on how to address the insecurity in the Sahel in a holistic way.”
VP Shettima also commended NAN for its crucial role in Nigeria’s media landscape. “Your organization plays a crucial role in Nigeria’s media landscape, helping to bridge the information gap and shape public discussion on national issues,” he said.
Earlier, NAN Managing Director, Ali Mohammed Ali, disclosed the theme of the conference, “Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges- Genesis, Impacts and Options.”
He announced that the lead speaker at the Lecture billed for September 25, 2024, would be Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former Chairperson of the ECOWAS Commission.
According to him, the conference is part of NAN’s efforts to expand its role beyond news dissemination to actively contributing to national discourse and problem-solving.
“NAN is organising its first international lecture as part of the media’s role to expand the frontiers of knowledge and find solutions to problems,” Ali explained.
He outlined several initiatives aimed at enhancing NAN’s reach and effectiveness, including the introduction of vernacular broadcasting, starting with a Hausa portal, plans to reopen international offices, particularly the London bureau, and efforts to intensify coverage across all 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria.
“No one knows Nigeria better than NAN,” Ali added, noting the agency’s extensive network of correspondents and offices across the country.
Ali also revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s Xinhua News Agency during his current visit to China to further expand NAN’s international partnerships.