COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 1ST ANNUAL NSCDC SECURITY SUMMIT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS CONFERENCE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021, AT THE FEDERAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE. - THE BUSINESS PACKAGE

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Thursday, April 15, 2021

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE 1ST ANNUAL NSCDC SECURITY SUMMIT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS CONFERENCE HELD ON THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021, AT THE FEDERAL SECRETARIAT COMPLEX, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE.

 


THEME:
THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SECURITY MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA: PUBLIC RELATIONS AS A MAGIC WAND  

The chairman of the conference is HRM Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale. The Special Guest of Honour is AIG Olusola Subair (Rtd.), who currently serves as the Special Adviser on Security to Ogun State Governor. Prof. Lai Oso of the School of Communication Studies is the lead Speaker. Discussants include HRM Oba (Prof.) Abdulkabair Adeyemi Obalanlege, the Olota of Ota; Head of Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta, Dr. Kola Adesina; Executive Secretary of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), Mr. Tope Adaramola, and Ogun , State Director of NYSC, Dr. Belynda Faniyi.  Security agencies present at the conference include NSCDC, FRSC, So-Safe Corps, Correctional Service, and the Nigerian Army. 

Trends in Nigeria’s Insecurity
Regardless of social status of anybody, no one is safe in the country as result of worsening insecurity characterized by kidnapping, terrorism, banditry, armed robbery, rivalry and lack of cooperation among security agencies, etc. Security situation in Nigeria is complicated by the nature of our security architecture which the colonialists created for us. The inherited security architecture was created to subjugate the citizens.   This must be reviewed.
The response of the Nigerian youth that metamorphosed to EndSARS was as a result of high-handedness of the security agencies.
Nigeria’s population has not helped security with the high number of Almajiris in the north, out-of-school children nationwide, and unemployed youth.
The action of security operatives is a reflection of the Nigerian society.
Security is a sine qua non for economic development. 
The nation’s high population must be serviced because it is contributing to insecurity.
Communication and mass media are central to our existence in today’s world to fight insecurity which has been complicated by the new information and communication technologies. 
High media illiteracy in Nigeria is fueling insecurity and government information managers take this with a pinch of salt.

PR Solutions to insecurity in Nigeria 
Security agencies must conduct internal research to examine themselves so as to identify what they are not doing well.
Security agencies must conduct research on public perception to know what members of the public feel about them.
There must be mutual respect, trust and synergy. The security agencies and the public must respect one another. There is trust deficit between the citizens and law enforcement agencies. 
Security agencies must create feedback mechanism which must be functional.
Law enforcement agencies must be civil, humane and humans.
There is a need to understand the general problem of insecurity and why members of the public are not cooperating with security agencies in terms of provision of information.
Community policing should be properly implemented. Community policing can close the existing disconnect between the security agencies and members of the public.
Public relations will at a time become ineffective in building favourable image for a brutal security agency that has ignored calls for reforms over the years. Therefore, Nigerian security agencies must be reformed.
Public relations handlers in security agencies are mere information managers. 
There must be a change in communication and media studies curriculum such as sociology of mass communication to address the problem of high media illiteracy which is fueling insecurity. 
Until Nigeria is able to re-energize and strengthen her institutions such as the police, army, correctional service, NSCDC, etc, we will not get it right in terms of security and economy.
There is a need for strategic identification of people in the border areas by the customs service. PR must be used deliberately in this regard.
The instrumentality of PR must be used for strategic identification of receiving points of contraband goods in the country. 
Security agencies in the country should adopt Quick Impact Project, a public relations strategy, to endear and gain public trust. This should be implemented as soon as practicable. 
Public relations practice in the security agencies is too media-centered. There is a need for security agencies to engage the public directly through interpersonal communication and community relations strategy such as PCRC.
Security agencies should treat members of the public with civility. This will enable them to obtain a lot of information from the public..
Security agencies should drop age-long reactionary approach to issues. But adopt proactive approach.

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