President Bola Tinubu’s administration has reminded Communication Managers in the public sector of the need to keep official government documents secret.
The administration is urging Communication Managers within Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to play a crucial role in safeguarding government documents and information, as they contribute to the protection and dissemination of sensitive government data.
Under the plan, a recent one-day capacity building event held in Abuja brought together dignitaries such as Dr. Maurice Nnamdi Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Dasuki Arabi, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR); Dr. Ike Neliaku, National President of the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Dr. Christopher Isiguzo, National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).



In his words “as you are aware, leaking of official secret act is a felony and there is no defence for such act either in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Freedom of Information Act. This training underlies the importance Government places on the dissemination of correct and truthful information.”
Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation
The focus of the event, which focused on the Role of the Official Secrets Acts in Maintaining Confidentiality and National Security, was organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms in collaboration with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. During the event, the charge was given by Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Akume, the SGF, represented by the Permanent Secretary, emphasised the importance of communication managers in disseminating accurate and truthful information while ensuring the protection of official secrets.
In his words “as you are aware, leaking of official secret act is a felony and there is no defence for such act either in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or the Freedom of Information Act. This training underlies the importance Government places on the dissemination of correct and truthful information.”
During his opening remarks, Dasuki explained the importance of empowering communication managers to uphold confidentiality and national security in accordance with the Official Secrets Act. He highlighted the workshop’s goal of enhancing national unity through effective communication in public services and utilising social media for governance in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dr. Ike, in his goodwill message, underscored the sensitivity of communication and the need for responsible dissemination of information.
Dr. Christopher expressed his belief that the training programme will provide a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of the Official Secrets Acts and their practical application in daily work. He also noted that the workshop will facilitate the sharing of best practices, experiences, and strategies for managing information within the parameters of confidentiality and security.
During the programme, the communication managers across various MDAs were enlightened on the importance of their roles in upholding the highest standards of confidentiality and integrity in their roles, spelling out the adverse effects of failing.