By Shile GIWA
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar says information management is critical to national development and security of any country.
Abubakar stated this at the Air Power enlightment workshop organised for Defence correspondents on Friday in Abuja.
He said the way information is processed could, specifically, affect national security positively or negatively.
” I am happy that this workshop is specially designed for Defence Correspondents, and organised by DOPRI ( Directorate of Public Relations and Information), which is under my Area of responsibility.
“This is because information management in today’s world is critical to national development and the way it is processed could affect national security positively or negatively.
“A Defence Correspondent must therefore understand and indeed know the terminologies associated with his beat to enable him report events professionally,” he said.
According to him, the aim of the workshop is to acquaint journalists with the technical knowledge needed for them to report the activities and operations of the Nigerian Air Force, more effectively.
” Just as it is often said that a man cannot give what he does not have, so also will a Defence Correspondent with inadequate knowledge about the military not be able to analyse NAF operations effectively.
“The need for this has become even more pressing given the recent emerging trends in the Counter Insurgency Operations in the North-East and the emerging security threats in the North-West of the country.
“I am optimistic that this Workshop would go a long way in providing the needed efficiency for Defence Correspondents,” he said.
Abubakar enjoined the correspondents to make good use of the knowledge acquired about the military from the workshop.
He stressed the need for journalists to understand the technicalities involved in military operations as the nation strives to restore peace in all parts of the federation.
The Chief of Air Staff was represented by AVM Kingsley Lar, Chief of Administration, Headquarters NAF.
Earlier, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, thanked the air chief for the workshop.
He added that it clearly demonstrates the importance he attached to the Directorate capacity building, which is the ultimate aim of the interactive session.
” This is not surprising, as capacity building is enshrined in one of the key drivers of the Chief of Air Staff’s vision, which is Human Capacity Development,” Daramola said.
He noted that Public Relations practice has moved from merely informing the public to actively engaging them.
“Accordingly, the Nigerian Air Force relies on the entire spectrum of the media, including the traditional and new media, for information dissemination.
“Social media, of course, has the advantage of providing avenues for real time engagement of the public.
“Hence, we have endeavoured to sustain public engagement through it and will continue to do so in the future,” he said. —–NAN
