The Publisher of First Daily, Dr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has expressed profound appreciation to distinguished guests, speakers, panelists, partners and participants for contributing to the success of the media organisation’s Sixth Anniversary Public Lecture and National Dialogue on Security.
The landmark event, held on Tuesday, July 28, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, brought together senior government officials, security chiefs, political leaders, legal practitioners, academics, diplomats, civil society organisations and captains of industry to deliberate on practical solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges.
In a statement issued on behalf of the Board and Management of First Media Network Limited, publishers of First Daily Online Newspaper, First Daily Sports and Civil Service News, Iworiso-Markson described the overwhelming support received from stakeholders as a strong endorsement of the organisation’s commitment to promoting informed national discourse through journalism.
He conveyed special appreciation to the Special Guest of Honour, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, for his consistent support for the First Daily Annual Public Lecture Series since its inception.
“We particularly appreciate His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, for standing by us over the years and identifying with our public lecture series from the very beginning. His continued support is deeply valued and appreciated,” the publisher said.
Iworiso-Markson also thanked the Chairman of the Occasion, General Martin Luther Agwai (retd.), and the Co-Chairman, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, for their leadership and invaluable contributions to the dialogue.
He equally commended the keynote speaker, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), for what he described as an insightful presentation that provided practical recommendations for strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture.
“Our keynote speaker, General Lucky Irabor, delivered an excellent presentation. We remain grateful for his deep insights and well-thought-out proposals for addressing the security challenges confronting our nation,” he stated.
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The publisher further acknowledged the outstanding contributions of other distinguished speakers and guests, including former Inspector-General of Police Sir Mike Okiro; the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, represented by Rear Admiral Atiku A. Abdulkadir; the Chief of the Air Staff, represented by Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet; Captain Warredi Enisuoh of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited; Alhaji Yahaya Ndu; and Professor Gregory Ibe of Gregory University, Uturu.
He also praised the panelists—Major Lancelot Anyanya (retd.), Dr. Yemi Onifade, Frank Tietie, Dr. Sani Shinkafi and Mojeed Dahiru—for enriching the dialogue with robust discussions and practical recommendations.
Iworiso-Markson expressed gratitude to friends, colleagues, associates, partners and well-wishers who attended the anniversary event, saying their presence reaffirmed confidence in First Daily’s mission of promoting public enlightenment and constructive engagement on issues of national importance.
“We recognise that your time is invaluable, and we are deeply grateful that you chose to invest it in advancing a cause that promotes peace, security, national unity and sustainable development in Nigeria,” he said.
He reaffirmed First Daily’s commitment to providing a credible platform for solution-driven conversations and policy engagement, adding that the organisation would continue to use journalism to contribute meaningfully to national development and democratic governance.
The First Daily National Dialogue on Security, themed “Declaration of State of Emergency on Security: Matching Words with Action,” formed the highlight of activities marking the media organisation’s sixth anniversary and featured wide-ranging discussions on strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture through collaboration among government, security agencies and other critical stakeholders.