Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged public relations practitioners in the country to serve as guardians of truth and national integration through effective communication in the face of a growing threat by purveyors of disinformation.

Shettima gave the advice while declaring open the maiden edition of the National Spokespersons Summit organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

The Vice President, who emphasised the critical role image-building and narrative construction play in maintaining social order, said: “Through your commitments and sacrifices, the voices of the misrepresented and the misunderstood are amplified, and the vision of a better tomorrow is brought to fruition.”

Shettima, who was represented at the event by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, stressed the responsibility spokespersons hold as the voice of their “organisations or principals, representing their values, visions, missions, and aspirations to the public”.

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Cautioning against the threat of misinformation, he added: “You are not only the spokesperson, a gatekeeper of truth, but also a defender of the public at the mercy of fake news merchants and their impressionable mercenaries.

“We can never win the war against misinformation and disinformation unless our responses to them are timely and evidence-based. You are a pillar of the nation’s security framework.”

Shettima also urged the spokespersons to be inclusive, saying: “Always leave a seat empty for any group to join your table and don’t treat anyone as inconsequential because their views don’t align with yours.”

In his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stressed the pivotal role effective communication plays in shaping perceptions and fostering trust.

Idris said: “Nigeria, a diversely blessed and vibrant country, grapples with the need to create a cohesive national identity; one that transcends ethnicity, religion, and political affiliations.

“Crafting a compelling national narrative becomes paramount as we strive to live up to our vast potential.”

The minister, however, commended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they are “recording incremental successes across various facets of our economy”.

The Star