Abuja – The Acting Managing Director of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Jones Afolabi, on Thursday pledged the agency’s determination to positively project the image of Nigerians in Diaspora.
Afolabi stated this when the Nigeria Union in South Africa (NUSA), led by its President, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
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“We appreciate your comment on what NAN did during the 2014 xenophobic attacks in bringing to lime light the information about what is happening to Nigerians in South Africa then.
“This is a pride to NAN and Nigeria as a whole, that if not NAN the issue wouldn’t have received the kind of publicity it had.
“We are ready to further partner with you; we assure you that your visit is beginning of a new relationship.
“We will make sure that the image of Nigerians in South Africa is well projected to assure the authority that Nigerians are law abiding people”, he said.
He said the agency had a dedicated foreign desk manned by competent staff to ensure that issues relating to Nigerians in the Diaspora were well reported.
Earlier, Anyene lauded NAN’s efforts during the 2015 xenophobia attack.
He said the article written by NAN brought the xenophobia to lime light.
“It was when NAN reported the issue that it was taken seriously because it was not initially attended to by the authority.
“NAN reports told the world what the xenophobic attack did to the foreigners. It was after NAN reports that other international media took it up.
“So, the importance of the agency cannot be overemphasised in the dissemination of information and creating of awareness on issues”, he said.
He said the union was happy and ready to improve on its relationship with NAN.(NAN)