Tinubu's aide launches project awareness campaign in Northern Nigeria

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, launched a project awareness campaign on Monday. This campaign aims to showcase important development projects from the government across Northern Nigeria.

The ‘Gani Ya Kori Ji’ initiative is a tour to inspect regional projects. It highlights major infrastructure developments led by President Bola Tinubu and state governors in the region.

Mr Abdulaziz introduced the initiative at the first Arewa Media Summit in Kano. The theme of the summit was “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.” He said the project aims to improve interaction among the government, citizens, and the media. This will be achieved through accountability, transparency, and responsible communication.

He explained that the campaign will give citizens direct information about projects and efforts by federal and state governments in the region.

The presidential aide stressed the importance of journalists and social media influencers maintaining ethical standards. He urged them to promote reporting that is factual, balanced, and accurate. Mr Abdulaziz pointed out that responsible communication is key to good governance and national development.

He warned social media influencers against sharing unverified information. He said misinformation and false narratives could create more divisions, especially with the 2027 general elections coming up. He mentioned that over 100 All Progressives Congress (APC) social media communicators have been trained before the summit. This training is meant to help them communicate government policies, programs, and achievements better.

During his speech at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, urged journalists and social media influencers to deny bandits and terrorists the publicity they want. He encouraged everyone to focus on national unity and ethical communication.

“The media has an important role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek, while promoting unity, resilience, and hope,” Mr Idris said.

He pointed out that the digital revolution has changed communication. Now, every smartphone can broadcast information. But this also makes it easier for fake news and false information to spread, which can threaten national unity and public trust. Mr Idris insisted that democracy works better when the government is open, citizens engage responsibly, and the media follows professionalism, fairness, and integrity.