By Nkechi Eze
As insecurity continues to threaten peace, development, and stability across Nigeria, particularly in the northern region, the Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMPF), in collaboration with the Kebbi State Government, has concluded plans to host the 2025 Broadcast Media Security Summit in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, on Monday, November 10, 2025.
The summit, with the theme “The North: Existential Threats and National Security,” is conceived as a strategic intervention aimed at addressing the escalating security challenges confronting Northern Nigeria. It seeks to provide a robust platform for dialogue, collaboration, and collective action among stakeholders committed to restoring peace and strengthening national cohesion.
In an official statement signed by the National Chairman of ABMPF, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, Ajiyan Yauri, the Forum expressed deep concern over the devastating impact of insecurity on lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure across the North, stressing that previous interventions have yielded only minimal and unsustainable outcomes.
According to the statement, the 2025 summit will bring together broadcasters, policymakers, security professionals, and development partners to develop practical communication strategies capable of enhancing public trust, countering violent extremism, and supporting ongoing national security reforms.
“The quest for peace in Nigeria must be continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated,” the statement noted. “The summit will therefore rally all relevant actors to explore innovative media-driven approaches to peacebuilding and national stability.”
The Governor of Kebbi State will host the event, which will also have the Governors of Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, and Sokoto States in attendance as Special Guests, reflecting the collective commitment of Northern leaders to addressing the region’s complex security and socio-economic challenges.
The summit will be chaired by His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, while Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), former Chief of Army Staff and former Minister of Interior, is billed to deliver the Keynote Address.
Over one hundred delegates drawn from radio and television stations across Northern Nigeria, alongside security experts, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, and government representatives, are expected to participate in the high-level discussions.
Deliberations will centre on conflict-sensitive reporting, misinformation, radicalization, inter-agency collaboration, and the ethical obligations of broadcasters during periods of national crisis. The summit aims to reposition the broadcast media as a vital instrument for countering terrorism, promoting reconciliation, and fostering unity among Nigeria’s diverse population.
The Forum emphasized that the media, as the most accessible means of mass communication, must be empowered and strategically integrated into the nation’s broader security architecture. “No nation can overcome insecurity without an informed, united, and resilient citizenry,” the statement added.
According to Alhaji Yelwa, the 2025 Broadcast Media Security Summit will serve as a major milestone in reaffirming the media’s role as a stabilizing force and a cornerstone of peacebuilding in a democracy under threat from disinformation and extremism. The event will conclude with a joint communiqué outlining actionable recommendations and frameworks for sustained partnerships between media institutions, government agencies, and security actors across Northern Nigeria.
The ABMPF also addressed recent misrepresentations in public discourse regarding the nature of insecurity in Nigeria, cautioning against framing the ongoing crisis along religious or ethnic lines.
“The victims of insecurity in Nigeria cut across all ethnicities, faiths, and regions,” the statement stressed. “It is, therefore, wrong to suggest that only members of a particular sect or group are being targeted. The killings ravaging parts of the country are not acts of genocide but acts of terrorism driven by criminality and extremist ideologies that must be confronted collectively.”
The Forum further warned against any attempt by individuals, groups, or external actors to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty under the guise of advocacy or foreign interference.
“The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum takes strong exception to any leader, group, or external entity seeking to threaten or undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty under any guise. Nigeria remains an independent, sovereign nation, fully capable of addressing its domestic challenges within the framework of its constitution and territorial integrity,” the statement concluded.
Reaffirming its partnership with the Kebbi State Government, the ABMPF reiterated its unwavering commitment to fostering peace through responsible communication, collaboration, and professional media practice, while calling on all stakeholders to support efforts aimed at restoring security and confidence in the North and across the country.
For further information, partnership, or participation details, interested parties are advised to contact the Forum via 0803 788 2327 or 0814 717 1162.
