NIMASA, ARMY TO SYNERGIZE ON MEDIA TRAINING
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and the Nigerian Army are concluding plans to cooperate on the training and retraining of journalists and other public communication practitioners in the country’s security sector.
This was part of the highpoints of a meeting in Lagos between the management of NIMASA, led by the Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, and a team from the Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information NASPRI, led by the Acting Commandant, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, at the agency’s headquarters in Apapa, Lagos.
The Nigerian Army delegation said the courtesy visit was to explore areas for further synergywith NIMASA.
Jamoh observed that there is a cordial relationship between NIMASA and the Armed Forces, especially the Nigerian Army, which plays a leading role in the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (the Deep Blue Project), domiciled at the agency.
“We have a very cordial relationship with the Armed Forces. Both establishments are working towards the same goal of national security and development”, Jamoh stated.
The Director General also said: “The Nigerian Army is a strategic partner in our search for maritime security; it plays a critical role in the Deep Blue Project. We are happy to work with you in the dissemination of information on national security issues. We have a responsibility to manage security information in ways that would engender confidence in the polity – and not endanger the country.”
It was however gathered that NIMASA is planning to set up a media academy for the training and retraining of professionals that report the maritime industry. He said the agency’s Public Relations unit would interface with NASPRI to come up with a robust curriculum and information sharing method that would serve NIMASA and the Army in the implementation of their respective mandates.
Earlier during the meeting, Yusuf commended the warm relationship between the Nigerian Army and NIMASA, saying he looks forward to more partnership between the two establishments. He disclosed that the NASPRI had trained many maritime journalists, members of the Armed Forces, and others involved in security reporting in the past.
(Business and Transport)
