A total of 29 awards were presented to some eminent Nigerian security personnel, agencies, public relations experts, public and private organizations, seasoned communicators and university students, among others, at the 2023 Security and Emergency Management Awards, SAEMA.
The fifth edition of SAEMA event, held alongside the 3rd Spokespersons’ Communication Awards (SCA) at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja on Thursday.
The event themed, “Artificial Intelligence: Effective Communication for National Security”, with Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, delivering the keynote speech at the event.
Abdullahi maintained that Nigeria can leverage on artificial intelligence to enhance its national security for socio-economic growth and human capital development, among others.
He said: “Like other nations, Nigeria can also harness the potential of the cutting-edge artificial intelligence, aided by effective communication systems, processes and mechanisms, to tackle its insecurity crisis, once and for all”.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who was represented by Jibrin Baba Ndace, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, assured that the Federal Government remains committed to remodeling the country’s battered image in the global community, urged media organizations in the country to supports in their best.
The President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku exploits the event to inaugurate Organization Committee and the Jury for the National Spokesperson Awards which will be held in partnership with IMPR. The Chairmanship of the Committee is the former Chairman Lagos Chapter of the institute, Segun Mcmedal.
The Managing Director of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, the Publisher of PRNigeria, Emergency Digest and Economic Confidential, Yushau Shuaib, explained that SAEMA event recognizes outstanding gallantry, contributions to safety, security and emergency management in Nigeria.
“While we shall be giving out 13 awards in the SCA category today, we had earlier received 139 entries. I am happy to inform you that our SAEMA has so much become a household name among security agencies, stakeholders and experts that we received 171 entries this year, out of which we had to work round the clock to come up with two finalists for each of the 16 categories.”
Among the winners are: the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN (Corporate Communication); the Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR (Event Management); Mr. Christian Aburime, the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State (Media Relations); Mr. Onugwu Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary, CPS, to Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State (Crisis Communication); Cyber Politics: Social Media, Social Demography and Voting Behaviour in Nigeria (Publications); and the Defence and Police Officers Wives’ Association, DEPOWA (Humanitarian Service).
There are also: the Borno State Government (Social Media); Nile University, Abuja (Young Communicators); the Kano NIPR Chapter (NIPR Chapter of the Year); CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS (Spokesperson of the Year); ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson (Crisis Communicator); and Commandant Olusola Odumosu, Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command (Law Enforcement Officer).
Others include: Brig Gen U. V. Unachukwu (Gallantry), Late Major Segun Abiodun Oni (Gallantry); Mr. Odita Sunday, the Defence Editor of the Guardian newspaper (Defence/Humanitarian Journalist); the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA (Crime Prevention); the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC (Emergency Management); the Department of State Services, DSS (Public Information); the Nigerian Air Force, NAF (Community Service); the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC (Diligent Investigation); and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC (Cybercrime Prevention).
The rest are: Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS (Training Institute); Deep Cover Guard Security Company (Private Security Company); DCI Sada Hassan (Media-Friendly Personality); Bamidele Makinde (Security Officer); Late Flight Lieutenants Adamu Ibrahim, Anthony Duryumus and others (Military Officer); Integrated Indigo Limited (Agency of the Year); Prof. Boniface Obiefuna (Scholar of the Year); Beloxxi and Company Limited, BLC (CSR/Community Relations); and The School of Impactful Communication, TSIC (Knowledge hub).
