The Minister of the Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged paramilitary agencies to consistently disseminate accurate information about their activities to Nigerians.
Tunji-Ojo gave the advice on Saturday during the Ministry’s Media Masterclass 2025, themed “Beyond Press Statements: Media as a tool for Public Engagement,” in Abuja.
He said that the training, organised for the public relations department of the ministry’s board and agencies, was apt as the era of hoarding information was gone.
“Information has become oxygen and is for everyone, so it is your responsibility to tell people the truth by communicating effectively.
“You can always have an opinion satisfactory to the people without lies, as leadership involves trust.
“It is also important to communicate with people and not let naysayers set agenda for you and that is why giving information on time will avoid the spread of negative trends,” Tunji-Ojo said.
According to the minister, perception management was vital to the successful running of any organisation.
He added that correcting false perceptions before the public was a huge task that involved creativity, innovation, and, above all, transparency.
The minister further advised the media teams to be empathetic in the delivery of their news reports.
“Always write your story from a point of empathy because you are being paid through taxpayers’ money, so don’t feel you are doing Nigerians a favour.
“When communicating, show empathy; in writing, always show empathy and build a solid team.
“Let us know that no matter the effort we put in, no matter the energy, we will only be rated by the virtue of how well we communicate and so you can’t blame people for what they don’t know,” the minister said.
He advocated for public relations practitioners within the ministry to conduct intellectual research that would enrich the information disseminated.
“At any point in time, you should be a working encyclopedia of your agencies and should have your data and facts right and readily available.
“Public Relations Officers, lead from the front, but no running one-man show and as for whatever you want to release, always have the approval of your agency head.
“We must have an alignment of thought between the conventional media and emerging media and we must understand our target audience because the ministry is responsible for citizenship integrity, internal security, protection of the border,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that heads, PROs, and media crews of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service, and Immigration Service Board were in attendance.
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