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Praises agency’s role in combating fake news
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated the Managing Director and Chief Executive of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ali Muhammad Ali, on his 60th birthday, praising the agency’s contribution to national information dissemination and its efforts to check misinformation.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on June 7, Tinubu described Ali as a “distinguished journalist and administrator” whose experience and networks had strengthened NAN’s mandate as the country’s foremost news agency.
The President commended the NAN boss for fostering closer links between citizens, private-sector leaders, and the government through strategic coverage of national and international events. He also lauded the agency’s promotion of specialised reporting on key sectors and programmes, saying these efforts had improved the country’s image.
“Under Ali’s watch, NAN continues to demonstrate consistency in news gathering, sharing, and networking with multilateral institutions, foreign news agencies, and media platforms — efforts that have further enhanced the image of the country and helped in mitigating the spread of fake news, particularly through online engagement,” the statement quoted Tinubu as saying.
The President extended praise to the management and staff of NAN for sustaining what he called “the mandate of Africa’s leading news agency”, and prayed for continued good health, strength, and wisdom for Ali as he celebrates his “diamond jubilee”.
Ali, a career journalist, took over the leadership of NAN amid calls for the modernisation of the federal newswire to meet the demands of digital news distribution and to counter misinformation.
