The Nigerian Army has urged social media influencers and bloggers to use the platforms to strengthen social and national insecurity.
General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Bamidele Alabi disclosed this at the 31st edition of the Social Media Influencers Seminar on Wednesday in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Speaking on the theme of the seminar, ‘Emerging Trend on Social Media: Impacts on National Security.’ he said they should play their roles actively to enhance national security.
Alabi explained the Nigerian Army recognized the significance of bloggers and influencers of social media as credible partners in shaping the narrative towards enhancing national security.
This, he noted, underlines the constant efforts of the Nigerian Army in organizing programs like this to interact with all stakeholders.
The GOC stated further that the seminar was indeed timely and apt in the face of a volatile, unpredictable, dynamic, and fluid environment.
He called on social media influencers and bloggers to use their platforms for peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
“The social media platform has reengineered social interaction among peers, businesses, governments, and so on.
“Social media platforms are used in advancing social and national insecurity, such as the situation in the northern and southeastern parts of Nigeria.
”Some groups use online media to propagate their agenda, and the general public also uses social media platforms to escalate this propaganda, which sometimes is fake news,” he added.
The Chief of Military Affairs of the Nigerian Army, Maj-Gen. NC Ugbo stated that the seminar was a continuous event in selected towns across the country to enable the Nigerian Army to interact with social media influencers, bloggers, media practitioners, and the general public.
“Such interactions are on how best social media can be used to enhance national security.
”The platform provided by the social media seminar has allowed the Nigerian Army to interact with influencers of the social and cyberspace on how to responsibly use the various assets to foster security and peaceful coexistence,” he said.
He ejoined the participants to listen attentively, to achieve the aim and objective of the seminar.
