The Federal Government has announced that it is exploring arrangements that will allow journalists to be embedded with military units during selected operations, in a move designed to improve the accuracy of security reporting and strengthen public understanding of counter-insurgency and internal security efforts.
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd.), made this known on Thursday at the National Security Summit organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in partnership with the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
He was represented at the event by his Special Adviser, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole (rtd.), who explained that the initiative is intended to deepen cooperation between the media and security agencies while boosting transparency and public confidence in military operations.
The summit, themed “Media and Security Agencies as Partners in Nation Building,” brought together security chiefs, policymakers, media executives, academics and civil society actors to examine responses to Nigeria’s changing security landscape.
Musa described the media as an essential stakeholder in national security, noting that contemporary warfare now extends beyond conventional battlefields into the information environment.
He stressed that evaluating security success should go beyond battlefield outcomes to include the level of public trust in security institutions.
The Defence Minister also cautioned against the release of sensitive operational details, warning that such actions could compromise missions, expose personnel to danger and unintentionally assist criminal groups.
He further disclosed that the Defence Ministry is considering arrangements that would allow journalists to accompany military formations during operations, enabling firsthand observation of activities and improving the depth and accuracy of reporting.
“The Defence Ministry is exploring arrangements to embed journalists with military units during operations to enable more accurate reporting and deeper understanding of operational realities,” he said.
He added that this approach reflects the changing nature of modern warfare, which now includes both kinetic and non-kinetic dimensions such as strategic communication, information management and community engagement.
Declaring the summit open, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the meeting was timely given the growing complexity of global and domestic security threats.
He noted that challenges such as terrorism, violent extremism, cybercrime, organised criminal networks, separatist movements and coordinated disinformation campaigns have compelled countries to rethink traditional security strategies.
“The relationship between the media and security agencies must therefore be founded on mutual respect, professionalism, trust and an appreciation of their complementary roles,” the minister said.
Idris added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration continues to place security at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda through sustained military operations, intelligence-driven interventions, technological investment and community engagement.
He listed gains recorded by security agencies to include the neutralisation of terrorists and armed groups, rescue of abducted persons, dismantling of criminal enclaves and increased deployment of modern military hardware, intelligence systems and surveillance technology.
The minister also urged journalists to maintain high ethical standards in security reporting, warning that misinformation and disinforma
tion could weaken ongoing national security efforts.
