LAGOS – The newly-appointed Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Public Relations and Information (NASPRI), Col. John Agim, said the school was the first and the only one in Africa.
Agim said this during his courtesy visit to the Lagos office of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.
The commandant explained that the visit was to familiarise himself with organisations that had been collaborating with the school in the training of its students.
“You have been helping in training of the students; I know NASPRI is the only school we have now that can train Army, Navy, Air Force in news reporting and other public relations activities.
“We are planning to bring in other paramilitary organisations as soon as we can have infrastructure that can support that.
“I want to sustain the relationship. We would need you from time to time to come in and widen the students’ horizon in news reporting.
“NASPRI is one of the new institutions established by the Nigerian Army, just established in 2010; it’s the only (of such) school in Africa.’’
Responding, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief/Head of Lagos office, Mr Dele Bodunde, said NAN had improved on its services.
“Our job is to gather information, put them together disseminate to all media houses, especially those who have subscribed one way or the other, either by paying cash or by news exchange.
“I think it has revolutionalised the mass media in Nigeria; those who wouldn’t have had access to certain news, they can pick it up from NAN.
“I don’t think that what they are being charged is cut-throat.
“So if you have sent 100 reporters out, you have one in Maiduguri, you have one in Sokoto you have one even outside Nigeria, you wouldn’t be able to maintain your business, but with NAN it is easier.
“Basically, we are government-owned and we support all government programmes.
“The government can trust us to protect national interest,’’ he said.
Agim took over from Col. Rabe Abubakar on March 11. (NAN)
