NIMASA, Army task journalists on national security, FDI inflow

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) in collaboration with the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI) have trained maritime journalists on the need to adopt developmental journalism with a view to preserving national security and enhancing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow.

A total of 50 journalists drawn from online, print and electronic media covering the maritime sector and personnel of the agency’s public relations unit participated in the one-day training program with the theme “An Assessment of the Pattern of Reportage among Nigerian Maritime Journalists: Implications for Preservation of National Security and Foreign Direct Investment.”

Speaking at the training program, Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, said there is need to train media practitioners to educate the local and international community on developments and opportunities that abound in the sector with a view to attracting foreign and local investments, which would boost the industry.

Jamoh, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Communications and Strategy, Ubong Essien while commending journalists for helping in nation’s building through robust reportage of activities in the maritime sector assured of the agency’s commitment to building capacities of media practitioners in the industry.

“Whatever needs to be done to support our friends in the media, I want you to know that you have an ally in the agency that will lend its voice as best as possible to support this sort of initiative and you can expect that there will be more of this to come so that we can build capacity and let Nigerians know that maritime is an important sector of the economy.

“As a coastal nation, we should be aware of our maritime strength and for that to happen, the media hold the key to realizing this. So, we count on you to do your best as we also strive to do ours and keep supporting you,” he said.

Acting Commandant of NASPRI, Col. Aliu Yusuf, while speaking at the event, said with large expanse of coastal waters, the maritime sector has what it takes to attract local and foreign direct investments and generate trillions of naira for the country than the oil and gas industry but that, he noted, also depend largely on responsible and objective reportage of activities in the sector.

“The maritime industry is a key sector of the Nigerian economy. The sector has been estimated to be bigger in size than the oil and gas but I don’t think we have explored that so far. If properly harnessed, the industry experts say the sector has a potential to realize more than trillions of naira for this country.

“We need to cross check and verify our facts before we put them out to the public because what people read about the industry would greatly influence whether they would want to invest in such an industry or not, especially given that the world has become a global village,” he said.

Earlier in her presentation, guest lecturer from the Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos, Prof. Abigail Ogwezz-Ndisika, while speaking on Ethics, Skills and Personal Qualities to improve Maritime Reportage, urged journalists to always be guided by ethics of what is right while reporting to grow the maritime sector.

“Media personnel have a duty to protect and secure the industry, they should ask themselves if what they are doing is right or wrong and in so doing ensure that they understand the rules of engagement.

“They should be diligent to ascertain the truth in their publications and ensure that whatever they are championing was responsible,” she said.

Participants were also taught other topics ranging from preserving national security and attraction of FDI through unbiased reportage, effective use of new media for responsive maritime reporting as well as best practices in maritime reporting.