The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, on Monday unveiled the Gani Ya Kori initiative, a regional project inspection tour aimed at showcasing landmark projects executed by the Federal Government and Northern state governments that have received little public attention.
Abdulaziz unveiled the initiative at the maiden edition of the Arewa Media Summit in Kano, saying the programme was designed to bridge the information gap between government and citizens by highlighting projects and policies with direct impact on the people.
He said the initiative would focus on projects executed by President Bola Tinubu and Northern governors, with the aim of promoting public awareness through firsthand assessment and factual reporting.
The presidential aide also urged social media influencers to verify information before publishing it, warning against the spread of content capable of creating division, particularly as the 2027 general elections approach.
According to him, the summit was conceived to strengthen dialogue between government, citizens and the media through accountability, responsibility and ethical communication.
He said while government had a duty to provide timely and transparent information, citizens should engage constructively, while the media must continue to serve as a bridge between leaders and the public through factual and balanced reporting.
Abdulaziz disclosed that more than 100 All Progressives Congress social media communicators were trained ahead of the summit on effective communication of government policies and achievements.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Reorientation, Mohammed Idris, called on journalists and media practitioners to deny terrorists and bandits the publicity they seek.
“The media has an indispensable role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek while promoting unity, resilience and hope,” Idris said.
He noted that while the digital revolution had transformed every smartphone into a broadcasting platform, it had also fuelled the spread of fake news and disinformation capable of threatening national unity and public confidence.
Declaring the summit open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf urged other states to emulate his administration’s Special Reporters Initiative, through which more than 150 young people have been deployed across ministries, departments, agencies and the state’s 44 local government areas to strengthen government communication and public enlightenment.
The summit attracted journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, digital creators, academics, policymakers and communication professionals from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on the theme, “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.”
