Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Monday called for wider support for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) upcoming international lecture on insecurity in the Sahel.
Shettima stated this when he granted an audience to the leadership of NAN led by its Managing Director, Malam Ali Mohammed Ali, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Vice-President emphasised the importance of collaborative action, noting that President Bola Tinubu was very much interested in the security situation in Nigeria and would not take it lightly.
Shettima also called for regional and collective efforts to address the insecurity in West Africa’s Sahel region.
He observed that the security situation in the Sahel region had significant implications for Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
“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,” he said.
Shettima expressed optimism about the potential outcomes of the conference.
“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.”
Earlier, Ali had told the Vice-President Shettima that the theme of the conference was “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 25 September, 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 said.
He outlined several initiatives aimed at enhancing NAN’s reach and effectiveness, including the introduction of vernacular broadcasting.
Others present at the meeting included NAN’s Director of Administration, Malam Abdulhadi Khalie; Director of Special Duties, Muftau Ojo; Deputy Director of NAN Multimedia, Ismail Abdulaziz; and Board Secretary, Ngozi Anofochi.(NAN)
