Abuja, Nigeria, December 8, 2023: In a prestigious ceremony held at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja on Thursday, the 2023 Security and Emergency Management Awards (SAEMA) and the Spokespersons’ Communication Awards (SCA) recognized 29 outstanding individuals and organizations for their exemplary contributions to security and communication.
The Deputy Comptroller General Immigration in Charge of Passport, DCI Sada Hassan, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service, CSC Abdullahi Maiwada, and the Police Spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, were among the distinguished recipients of these annual awards.
Themed “Artificial Intelligence: Effective Communication for National Security,” the fifth edition of SAEMA was accompanied by the third SCA. The event highlighted the crucial role of artificial intelligence in national security and featured a keynote speech by Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Mal. Kashifu Inuwa emphasized the potential of leveraging artificial intelligence to address Nigeria’s security challenges for socio-economic growth and human capital development.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alh. Muhammad Idris Malagi, represented by Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), expressed appreciation for the event’s organizers. He affirmed the government’s commitment to reshaping Nigeria’s global image and called for media support in achieving this goal.
President of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Dr. Ike Neliaku, used the occasion to inaugurate the organizing committee and jury for the upcoming National Spokesperson Awards in partnership with IMPR.
Mal. Yushau Shuaib, the Managing Director of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, explained that SAEMA acknowledges outstanding contributions to safety, security, and emergency management. He also announced the renaming of SCA to the National Spokespersons’ Awards, with the inaugural edition scheduled for March 2024.
Among the winners were notable organizations and individuals such as NDLEA, FRSC, DSS, NAF, ICPC, EFCC, and others. Special awards were presented to DCGI Sada Hassan, Brig Gen. U. V. Unachukwu, Late Major Segun Abiodun Oni, and various professionals for their remarkable achievements in different categories.
The event, attended by representatives from the government, security agencies, and the media, showcased the significance of effective communication in enhancing national security.
