Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stated that journalism is strategic to the growth and development of any nation.
He stated this when he played host to members of the Lagos Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by the Chairman, Deji Elumoye at the headquarters of the agency in Lagos.
Highlighting the importance of information, Peterside said nations are built and destroyed by the way information is gathered, managed and disseminated. He charged the union to ensure balanced reportage of national affairs, noting that the role of the media in the society is strategic and cannot be ignored.
“I want to assure you that NIMASA will collaborate with partners to move the maritime industry forward in Nigeria, we understand that the maritime industry has the capacity to play a critical role in repositioning the economy of our country especially in this time of recession.
“As journalists, you will help enlighten our country men and women on the important role the maritime industry is playing and the potentials in the industry to contribute to the economic growth of our nation,” he said.
Earlier in his address, Chairman of the Lagos State NUJ, Deji Elumoye lauded the repositioning efforts at NIMASA.
“As journalists, we don’t just give credit, most times we want to criticize but from what we have been able to see and hear, we believe with your appointment and with the activities you have been able to do so far we have a round peg in a round hole. And to some of us it is not surprising because as journalists who have followed your antecedents in the last 12 years, we know what you can offer,” he said.
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