The federal government on Monday urged defence correspondents to sustain positive reportage of Nigeria’s security situation.

The permanent secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Ibrahim Kana, made the call in his goodwill message at the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DECAN) Conference 2026 in Abuja.

The conference’s theme is “Beyond Kinetic Warfare: Harnessing Technology and Intelligence-led Operations for Nigeria’s National Security”.

”Over the years, Nigeria has had a bad image, not because the country is bad, but because people choose to represent the nation in a very bad light.

”I have seen that virtually all of you are highly responsible Nigerians. You report Nigeria positively, and I say congratulations,” he said.

He noted that reportage is taken very seriously globally because it constitutes open-source intelligence, adding that people use social media to access such intelligence.

”I want to urge you, therefore, as you have been doing, to continue reporting the armed forces and the security situation in a very positive light,” he said.

The permanent secretary commended the armed forces for their sacrifices, saying Nigerians would not appreciate what the military does until they work closely with them.

Mr Kana said he was proud to be associated with Nigeria and the defence community, even though he was no longer in the defence ministry.

On his part, DECAN President Odita Sunday said the war against terrorism required collaborations to nip it in the bud.

”Intelligence gathering and the use of modern technology must work in sync to address these challenges.

”Our security agencies must work together and share timely information to be ahead of the enemies of the state,” he said.

(NAN)