The Niger State Government has connected the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) State Council Secretariat in Minna to its 24-hour broadband internet network, bringing the number of connected public offices in the state to 156.
The facility, installed at the IBB Pen House, is intended to strengthen digital journalism, improve access to information and enhance the speed and efficiency of news production and public communication.
The initiative was implemented by the Ministry of Information and Orientation in collaboration with the Niger State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NSITDEA).
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Obed Nuhu Nana, formally handed over the facility during the NUJ State Council Congress, reaffirming the administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s commitment to working with media practitioners.
Nana said improved internet connectivity would enable journalists to access information on government policies, projects and development initiatives more efficiently, while supporting the adoption of digital information management practices.
He added that timely access to reliable information could help curb misinformation by enabling journalists to verify facts and provide accurate accounts of government activities.
The Director of Information Services in the ministry, Yunusa Saidu Ibrahim, said the intervention was designed to support journalistic research, streamline news production and improve information dissemination across the state.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Daniya Mohammed, Director of Cyber Security and Data Protection at NSITDEA, disclosed that about 80 per cent of planned internet deployments across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in the state had been completed.
Mohammed, who represented the agency’s Director-General, Suleiman Isah, at the congress, also announced plans to organise cybersecurity training for journalists to strengthen their knowledge of online safety, data protection and responsible internet use.
The training is expected to equip media practitioners with skills to protect digital information and navigate cybersecurity risks associated with modern journalism.
The NUJ Niger State Council Chairman, Abu Nmodu, commended the state government for extending broadband connectivity to the union’s secretariat and pledged that the facility would be put to judicious use.
The congress also unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Commissioner Nana in recognition of his support for the union.
The connection of the NUJ secretariat marks a further expansion of Niger State’s digital infrastructure programme, which seeks to improve connectivity and strengthen technology-driven public service delivery.
Source: Nigerian Daily Post.
