By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

At the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria (IBAN) on Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, called on independent broadcasters to rise as frontline defenders of Nigeria’s information space, national unity, and digital security.

Represented by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, the Minister—who is currently on official assignment in Johannesburg, South Africa—sent warm greetings to IBAN and commended the association for what he described as a “timely and strategically relevant” conference theme: “Broadcasting for Information Sovereignty, National Cohesion and Digital Security.”

Delivering the goodwill message on behalf of the Minister, the spokesperson noted that the theme aligns strongly with the nation’s foreign policy priorities and the challenges of an increasingly complex global information environment.

He stressed that Information Sovereignty has become the digital-age version of territorial integrity, underscoring Nigeria’s right to tell its own stories and resist foreign-sponsored disinformation. “When you invest in high-quality, locally-produced content that reflects our realities and aspirations, you are asserting our sovereignty,” he said, describing broadcasters as “vanguards of the national story.”

On National Cohesion, he reminded broadcasters that in a country of over 230 million people with immense diversity, the airwaves remain a sacred trust. “The microphone and the camera are powerful tools that can either bridge divides or deepen them,” he cautioned, urging the media to amplify shared values, collective challenges, and unifying narratives capable of strengthening national stability.

Addressing Digital Security, the spokesperson warned that the same digital tools that expand broadcast reach also expose national discourse to cyber threats and coordinated influence operations. Securing broadcast platforms, he emphasized, is “a matter of national security” and essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s information ecosystem.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Nigeria that controls its narrative, protects its digital space, and fosters unity commands greater respect and diplomatic leverage on the global stage. “The narrative you build at home is the narrative we project abroad,” he added.

The Minister’s message concluded with a call for deeper collaboration between the government and the broadcasting industry to counter negative narratives, strengthen national identity, and project a confident, cohesive Nigeria. He wished IBAN a successful meeting and fruitful deliberations.

“May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he prayed.