The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday set up an inter-ministerial committee to advice the government on how the Information ministry could be assisted to effectively disseminate government information.
The Ministers in the committee include Agriculture; Finance; Budget and Planning; Petroleum (state); Power, works and Housing; Transportation; Communications; Information and Niger Delta Affairs.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Information Minister Lai Mohammed presented the ministry’s progress report to FEC before leaving for other engagements.
“The Council decided to set up an inter-ministerial committee to fashion out a marshal plan for the communications for the ministry to seat down and advise the government on how government policies and programmes can be better disseminated.
“But in particular to advise the government really on what can be done to assist the ministry and its agencies to deliver on their own mandate.”
Shehu said that Information Minister spoke about how the ministry had changed things in the country including bringing down the wall dividing Nigerians or screening them off the on-going military engagements in the North East.
He said Mohammed also said the ministry had done a lot in the proactive role in the release of the abducted Dapchi girls and the openness of the release operation.
He also mentioned the institution of the Town Hall meetings of which 11 had taken place across the country where feedback was got from the citizens about the administration’s activities.
He also stated the institution of the national sensitization campaign on insecurity as well as regular interactions with such bodies as the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria on sensitization campaign on insecurity in the country.
Also in the interaction were the Nigeria Guild of Editors and the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) all constituent bodies in the media.
According to Shehu, internationally, the minister spoke about engagements with the International Press Institute (IPI) which would be coming to Nigeria for its World congress in June.
He noted that Mohammed said the ministry had also made progress with the digital switch over and campaign.